Materials and Progress of Be Social Project’s Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Programme

Hello everyone!

What once seemed like a dream has now become a reality. Be Social Project’s physiotherapy project is officially up and running!

As with everything we do in Lamu, it hasn’t been easy, but we are now working with all the materials we have purchased. As you know, in mid-January we managed to raise the funds needed to launch the project this year. Laura, our lead physiotherapist, immediately got to work. After carefully considering which materials would be most useful, easy to handle, feasible to produce locally in Lamu, and durable over time, we carried out a market study to compare prices and purchased a wide range of equipment.

Most of the materials are focused on improving balance and overall psychomotor skills for all the children, with a strong emphasis on sensory materials for children with ASD. Here are some examples:

• 6 sensory balls

• 4 Pilates balls in different sizes

• 1 sound ball

• 1 physio activity roll

• 1 large balance platform and 3 standard ones

• 1 inflatable mattress

• Materials to create a sensory pathway

• 1 Graball

• Montessori-style games for fine motor skills

• 1 large psychomotor tunnel

We will continue to share updates as the project evolves.

And once in Lamu, we commissioned a neem-wood treatment table and are now waiting to visit the carpenter to have different pieces of equipment made. In Nairobi, we found a supplier who can source almost everything we need at a reasonable price—remember that in Lamu it is nearly impossible to find this kind of equipment, and in Nairobi it is extremely expensive.
That’s why Oskar, the wonderful physiotherapist who arrived at exactly the right moment, and Lourdes travelled to Lamu with their luggage completely full of this material. We are truly delighted to be able to count on Oskar’s collaboration in this new Be Social Project initiative.

Oskar arrived on the 6th, but his luggage didn’t arrive until five days later—these things happen! Joseph, the orthopaedist, arrived on the 8th with the orthoses that were pending for four children. Unfortunately, one of them, Suleiman, has not yet returned to school, so for now we will have to wait and see whether he is back by the next review in three months’ time.

Oskar and Joseph spent a morning together at the school, and it’s a real pleasure to see two professionals who know exactly what they are talking about and understand each other perfectly. Joseph explained how we should work with each child, and now Oskar spends some time with them every day, carrying out rehabilitation sessions and, above all, working on the exercises they need to do independently. It’s amazing to see how all of them—even Said, who is only eight years old—take responsibility for their exercises and carry them out.

Oskar is also working closely with the teachers, class by class. The idea is to create group dynamics that will continue once he has left, led by the teachers themselves. The goal is to provide them with tools that make their work a little easier and more active, ultimately helping to improve our children’s mobility almost without them even realising it.

Be Social Project Rehabilitation Programme

On the other hand, we currently have several children who require personalised rehabilitation and hands-on therapy. For this, we work with Nancy and Emma, a Kenyan occupational therapist and physiotherapist, who will be coming—at least for now—once a week to work with all of them.

Little by little, everything seems to be falling into place. That said, we want to be honest: it is not easy. Every small achievement requires a great deal of effort. Still, the entire Be Social Project team is incredibly happy and excited to see how things are progressing, to feel the support we receive from all of you every time we launch a new project, and to see how the lives of our children are gradually improving. We want to share this journey with you, because with every step we take, we truly feel you close by.

We will keep you informed of all the progress, which we hope will be many.

With love,
The Be Social Project Team