“In every community, there is work to be done.”

“In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.”

This quote by Marianne Williamson struck a chord with me, especially as I have just finished my first week of community block. I will be honest (nothing new there) and say I was incredibly apprehensive about this block for multiple reasons. The workload and the expectations being the biggest stressor.

I have always wondered how 1 person (or 3 in my case) could ever make a difference in a whole, established community. What on earth am I going to do to make a difference in so many peoples lives. To be honest, the weight of this thought really came crashing down on me the first time I saw the community we were going to be a part of for the next 5 weeks. I was immensely intimidated at the vastness of this community. The amount of people who were looking at me as if I was just another student in a long line of students trying to make a difference that never really translated to anything.

As you can imagine, this was rather stressful. For those who know me, you will know I am one that never backs down from a challenge, especially a challenge where people are expecting me to fail. For those of you who don’t know me… well I guess you know me a little bit better now. I won’t say that I am any less apprehensive, but I am definitely more motivated to succeed.

Success. What an interesting word. Success is defined as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” ("Oxford Languages and Google - English | Oxford Languages", 2020) This then begs the question: what is my purpose? What is my aim? What do I hope to accomplish? As an occupational therapist, I would say my purpose is to enable all those who have been disabled. This can mean anything from physical disabilities, mental disabilities, financial struggles, the list goes on and on. Anyone whose circumstances has “disabled” them from living life the way most people do.

Majority of the cases seen at in the community I am currently placed at is maternal and child health. Most people are very aware of the issues resulting from poor child health, but for some odd reason, maternal health seems to be unfortunate collateral damage in a very broken system where there are already so many other seemingly more important “disabilities” and inequalities to be addressed.  

Maternal health and child health are highlighted due to the high mortality rates noted in our country of South Africa. As a result, services such as ante-natal and post-natal services are widely available to improve health of the mother and baby to decrease these rates. Occupational therapists can advise mothers on normal development and techniques to foster normal development, such as stimulation and kangaroo mother care, which has been researched to be hugely beneficial to infants of all families and circumstances. These strategies can be employed with the children to facilitate normal development and optimal growth.

While statistics like mortality after birth are often under the spotlight, the mental challenges these mothers face after childbirth are kept hush hush even though they are immense. “Worldwide about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression.” ("WHO | Maternal mental health", 2020) This is a very scary statistic! Occupational therapists are of importance in this as they are able to teach coping skills and give advice on depression beaters so that these mothers can cope with having someone dependant on them, while also realising they need to take time to care for themselves.

Its all good and well we work on child health, as the youth are “the next generation”, but the driving force behind child health is the moms. So, if maternal health is not emphasised and focused on, children’s health will not be optimal, hence development will not be optimal and this just leads to a further downward spiral. As such, the target population in this instance is the mothers as improving their concerns and conditions will enable them to care for their children in a way that promotes optimal child development.

I have always found that mothers are hesitant to speak about the challenges they face as a result of becoming a mom. I want to provide a safe environment where they feel comfortable to share their grievances so that I can empower them to improve their current circumstances, which will in turn improve their children’s circumstances.

Am I scared that I won’t be able to help these moms? Of course. Am I going to move past that fear and give it my all? Of course!

I want to empower the disempowered. Enable the disabled. Mend the damaged bridges and build new ones. I want to make a difference. I want to succeed. My aim and my purpose is to help others accomplish their aims and their purposes. What a wonderful way to define success?

There is so much work to be done. May my heart have the power to do it.

 

References:

WHO | Maternal mental health. (2020). Retrieved 11 September 2020, from https://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/maternal_mental_health/en/

3. Principles of Kangaroo Mother Care. (2020). Retrieved 11 September 2020, from https://bettercare.co.za/learn/mother-and-baby-friendly-care/text/03.html

Oxford Languages and Google - English | Oxford Languages. (2020). Retrieved 11 September 2020, from https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

Williamson, M. (2020). 6 Inspiring Marianne Williamson Quotes To Bring You Harmony. Retrieved 11 September 2020, from https://www.iuemag.com/y17/di/6-marianne-williamso-quotes-to-bring-harmony.php

hard working mom gif - Clip Art Library. (2020). Retrieved 11 September 2020, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1482416.htm

Freaking Out GIFs | Tenor. (2020). Retrieved 11 September 2020, from https://tenor.com/search/freaking-out-gifs


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