On sunday 7th of december 2014, Mieke Lembrechts and Luc Vercruysse from TAPAS association presented the TAPAS-Poland project to the Polish community in Belgium during their Christmas concert in Heverlee.

We thank them for the financial support.

End of november we finished the last of the 4 modules we were giving at UPOLI university Esteli Nicaragua. Last module was about “OT and mental health”.

During the four modules of the course we engaged 8 TAPAS members to introduce OT for students of nursery, psychologists, GP’s, physiotherapists.

Teachers  for TAPAS:

Evelien Dewachter, Cristina De Diego, Patriciia Jovelar, Reninka Dekoker, Veerle Devocht, Jeroen Vos and Luc Vercruysse.

Organising coordinator at UPOPLI: Ivania Mercedes.

Now we are negociating with UPOLI to repeat this course may be also in Managua .

Evaluation Report (6.10-13.11.’14)
Volunteering at ZOL-Jaszkotle, Poland

Therapy TAPAS association

The contact, before the stay, with the members of TAPAS (Luc and Agnieszka) went very well. The communication was positive and constructive. I had enough information to plan my travel and to prepare myself for the work in the rehabilitation center.

Stay at Jaszkotle

The stay in the center was very comfortable. The room was nice, the bathroom and dining room had everything I needed. In case of the food I felt I was getting spoiled! The meals were well prepared and satisfying. The portions were definately big enough! I also got extra’s every week like yoghurt, different kinds of meat/cheese, biscuits, cake,… The kitchen staff was very sweet and friendly.
Another positive point is the public transport: there are regular busses tot Wroclaw and back.
The only thing I would have liked is the ability to use a laundry machine.

Work at Jaszkotle

Working with the children
Iam so gratefull that I got the opportunity to gain experience in this setting. I hadn’t worked a lot with children with developmental problems before. After working here, I feel stronger as an OT within this goalgroup. I got the chance and space to build and execute my ideas.

Working together with other disciplines
Due to the language barrier the collaboration with other disciplines didn’t go as fluent, but everybody tried to make themselves understandable. This made me feel appreciated and welcome. After the the six weeks, I felt that my band with the caregivers and therapist had grown stronger.

Working with the students
Working together with the Belgian and Polish students was very interesting and informative. I could reflect with them upon their functioning, my own functioning and the possibilities of occupational therapy within the center.

Difficulties and opportunities for occupational therapy
In my opinion there are a lot of possibilities for OT within the center. We would be able to intervene in all occupational performance area’s: school/learn, leisure, ADL. Every child is different and therefore it is so important to work client centered. Setting up personal goals in collaboration with the child and other disciplines.
As OT’s we can make the difference by not only achieving these goals in a therapy session, but by implementing them in the daily lives of the children.
I think that the caregivers/therapists have little knowledge of occupational therapy. This will have to grow. The fact that there is no actual interdisciplinary teamwork in the center will make this very difficult. On short term I think the work with the students/volunteers is very useful for the development of occupational therapy within the center. On longer term I think it would be necessary to have an OT work permanently, because the students only come for a short period and that makes it very hard/challenging to change something.

Conclusion

I have had a wonderful time at Jaszkotle. I have learned a lot and got many opportunities to develop my skills as an OT but also to develop on personal area. In these weeks I have felt so welcome and I am so glad to have get to know more of the Polish culture. I hope that my work has been valuable and that I can come back in the future!
I feel the TAPAS-love! Thank you!

Merel Thijs.

On this moment two OT students of Odisee Brussels, Natthaya Cornelis and Yana Pollet, are doing fieldwork in Jana Pawla 2 institute i, Jaszkotle Poland. They are working in team with another Tapas volunteer from Belgium: Merel Thijs , graduated OT at PXL Hasselt.

From 12 november till 29november Luc Vercruysse and Jeroen Vos are going to Esteli – Nicaragua for one week teaching in UPOLI university Esteli. This will be the 4rth module of the course “Introduction to Occupational Therapy”. This module  is called ” Introduccion en terapia ocupacional: psiciatria y salud mental”. They also plan to visit different projects in Terrabonna, escuela Cristal, iniciativo colibri, corazon contente,..

All partner organisations with a similar mission.

Onze wandeling in Tervuren ten voordele van TAPAS is spijts het dreigend slechte weer toch nog een succes geworden. Meer dan 100 deelnemers moet je verdienen. Dank aan alle deelnemers.

Agnieszka en Karolina kwamen helemaal uit Polen (Wroclaw Jaszkotle) om onze activiteit mee te maken. Ze maakten van de gelegenheid gebruik om de studenten die komende maanden naar Jaszkotle trekken van de nodige praktische informatie te voorzien. Ook hadden ze de kans om een bezoek te brengen aan het BUSO Terbank.

Zaterdag en zondag hadden we met hen een gezellige avondafsluiter ten huize “Mieke Lembrechts”.

Dank Reninka, Evelien, Mieke voor jullie inzet deze dagen voor weeral eens een geslaagd initiatief.

Luc.

7 OT students of HUB Brussels were doing pioneer work in “Klein kasteeltje” asylum center in Brussels Belgium. they offered a continuity in meaninful and purposeful activities for the residents there. TAPAS in collaboration with HUB was there for 6 full months.

As a member of OOFRAS we intend to go on with this initiative in the next academic year.

Cristina de Diego and patricia Jovellar were offering the 3rd module of our TAPAS course about Occupational therapy principles and methods at UPOLI Esteli Nicaragua.

Jeroen Vos and Luc Vercruysse are preparing the 4rth module for Autumn of this year. This module is about mental health care.

8 OT students (7 HUB and 1 UBU Burgos Spain) assisted the therapists of Jana Pawla 2 institute in Jaszkotle Poland.

Students of BUSO Terbank Heverlee under supervision of Mieke lembrechts and colleagues went to the orphanage for severe handicapped children in Jaszkotle Poland to do some logistical activities and also some nice activities with the children.

In the mean time we negociate for offering a course at UNAN Managua Nicaragua.

We know already about a quiet great number of interested students and volunteers for our TAPAS projects in Poland, nicaragua, Brussels and India.

21 september 2014 we will have our 2nd sponsor TAPAS walk for the benefit of allour projects. Be there !!!!   

7 studenten ergotherapie van de HUB Brussel deden pionierswerk in het asylcentrum “klein Kasteeltje” te Brussel. ze verzorgden er een permanent aanbod van zinvolle en betekenisvolle activiteiten voor de bewoners, en dat gedurende 6 volle maanden. We gaan door met dat TAPAS-HUB engagement in het komend academiejaar.

Als lid van OOFRAS ligt dat uiteraard binnen de verwachtingen.

Cristina de Diego en Patricia Jovellar gaven de 3de module van onze TAPAS opleiding aan de UPOLI in esteli-Nicaragua.

Jeroen Vos en Luc Vercruysse zijn in volle voorbereiding voor de 4de module rond geestelijke gezondheidszorg.

8 studenten (7 HUB en 1 UBU Burgos Spanje) gingen de therapeuten van het Jana Pawla 2 instituut in Jaszkotle Polen bijstaan in het geven van therapieën aan de multiple gehandicapte weeskinderen.

BUSO leerlingenvan Terbank Heverlee gingen onder begeleiding van Mieke Lembrechts en collega’s leerkrachten een week logistieke steun verlenen in Jaszkotle-Polen. Ook zij verzorgden enkele activiteiten met de kinderen.

Ondertussen onderhandelen we voor het geven van een modulaire cursus aan UNAN Managua, en zijn er weer heel wat geïnteresseerden voor onze TAPAS projecten in Polen, Nicaragua, Brussel en India.

Noteer alvast 21 september 2014: Dan organiseren we onze 2de benefietwandeling voor TAPAS vzw. Je hoort hier binnekort meer van.

Cristina de Diego and Patricia Jovellar, miembros de la asociación TAPAS están visitando nuestros contactos profesionales en Nicaragua. También están facilitando el tercer módulo de nuestro curso en la Universidad UPOLI en Estelí, Nicaragua. El tercer módulo trata la integración sensorial y el tratamiento neurológico con niños/as y adultos/as. ¡Mucha suerte!