IPAFU RURAL HEALTH CENTRE
INTERGRATED EPILEPSY ANNUAL REPORT
JANUARY- DECEMBER- 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Introduction………………………………………………………………………….….…4
At the aid of the Physically Challenged………………………………………………..….5
Clientele Expansion…………………………………………………………………. …,,.6
Home Visitations………………………………………………………………………….8
Impressions of my Journey to Ipafu -16th October 2018…………………………….……9
Visitors from Jonathan Foundation………………………………………………………10
Challenges ………………………………………………………………………….…….12
Way Forward……………………………………………………………………………..12
Recommendations………………………………………………………………….…….13
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….…….13
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Integrated Epilepsy Project under Ipafu Rural Health centre, is once more highly indebted to the following people and institutions for their timely support:
- All Board Members of Jonathan Foundation for their dedication and full support towards the Project.
- All well-wishers in the Netherlands for their financial and technical support
- The Sisters of St John the Baptist- The Provincial Superior and Council, for their involvement and commitment to the welfare of disadvantaged children.
- The Community Volunteers and parents for their cooperation and willingness to work with us.
- All the visitors from the Netherlands who sacrificed in many ways to come and visit the centre and for their material and moral support rendered to us
- The Primary schools for accepting our Children in their schools for Learners’ integration purposes.
- All Members of Staff at Ipafu Rural Health Centre for their collaboration in the care of the children with special needs and for hosting during the evaluation workshop and other meetings for the Project.
- The Sisters at Ipafu for their Support and interest put in the care of the Vulnerable in the Community
- INTRODUCTION
Through the strengthened Epilepsy project, in Ipafu Chingola -Zambia, the programme was able to carry out a number of activities including Home visitations, Meetings with both Community Volunteers and Parents. This year has seen the project enrolling twelve more clients whose total number now stands at seventy-one. It is also this year when the centre received visitors from the Netherlands, from whom we did not only gain knowledge and skills but also got inspirations and support. However, it is a well-known fact that happy days do not always go without bad days. It is this year when the programme lost two of our clients one male adult and one female child.
In spite of all the obstacles the Project in Ipafu has particularly been given extra motivation and drive to work hard through the inspiration of the committed and self- motivated Dr Piet and Anneke during the course of the Planning Meeting in October 2018. During the third quarter of 2018 the Project paid particular attention to the home visitations in order to know the real situation of the clients within their home environment.
As public sensitization is key to raising awareness in the community. the youth group was actively involved in sensitizing the community. The programme also continued to promote sustenance in order to improve skills in farming and business environment for self-sustainability.
We feel convinced that a lot more can still be achieved towards making a difference in the children we serve who have been marginalized since time immemorial. I therefore on behalf of the Project sincerely extend my thanks and appreciation to all those who helped us get over hurdles and pull through and made this year a successful one.
The project welcomes Sr Susan Katwishi as the new project Coordinator and bade farewell to Sr Florence Ngosa who has coordinated the project from inception.
With much gratitude,
Sister Florence Ngosa
- AT THE AID OF THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
It is with great pleasure that I report to you the activities that we embarked on in the year 2018 for the Epilepsy Project in Ipafu- Chingola in Zambia .It is by the grace of God, and the gift of people like yourself that we managed to carry out some activities.
We procured two-wheel chairs for our two physically challenged children. It was really a happy moment especially for the Parents. It was a big surprise for them.
Elvet’s Mother could not keep her joy hidden but knelt down in a traditional way to appreciate this special gift. (In the second Photo on the right)
Florida Muyumbana
Deep joy could not be hidden on their faces. Praise God! To other People this may seem nothing, but in the lives of these parents, this gesture is what they longed for and they will forever remain grateful for.
- CLIENTELE EXPANSION—– PROJECT’S MAIN OBJECTIVE
In line withthe project’s main objective which statesthat nearly 100 persons living with within our catchment area should live in an acceptable and supported family context. The facility has continued to record new Clients. This is a clear indication that we are moving towards achieving this objective. Thanks to the Volunteers whose efforts cannot go unnoticed as they tirelessly seek out these Clients. The total number of new Clients enrolled this year is twelve of which ten are Males and two are Females.
Currently the statistics aggregated are as follows;
These statistics translate to 71%
Patient type | Male | Female | Lost to Follow | Relocated | Defaulters | Mortality | Total |
Epilepsy Only | 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
Both Epilepsy &I/C | 28 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 39 |
Intellectually Challenged On(I/C) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
TOTAL | 49 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 71 |
- OUR HEAVENLY HOME
This world is indeed not our home; our true home is in heaven where our treasures are laid up. During the period under review, death did not spare us but robed us of two clients, a seven-year-old girl and a 48 years old Charles Kunda in June and August respectively.
Charles Kunda met his demise approximately two weeks after sustaining third degree burns in his house while trying to keep himself warm. He was found the following morning severely burnt and was rushed to the nearest health facility where he received attention but could make it.
I recall Charles Kunda at the meeting we had barely a month before his death giving a touching testimony about his life. He was one of the Clients who never missed his appointments and was keen on improving his lifestyle by involving himself in selling foodstuffs as his source of income.
CHARLES KUNDA
The man lived a poor and simple life but embraced an authentic Christian life. Despite his journey on this earth being rough, he never despaired but placed his hope in God as was testified by the members he congregated with at his Church. I’m certain that he is now kept warm not with a brazier but under the shadow of the Lord’s wings. Blessed indeed are the in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Mt 5:1. MHSRIP
- HOME VISITATIONS
It was a grace filled experience to visit the Clients and interact with them in their homes, with their family members and individually. It was also disheartening to find some Clients in bad conditions that needed quick interventions and support to regain good health.
Isaac Banda
During home visits, Mr Isaac Banda was found very ill and helpless. Mr Banda stays with his mother, who is old . His condition could not allow him to walk to the facility nor could his Mother find means to facilitate his movement. However, we managed to take him to Nchanga Hospital in Chingola town, so that he could access specialised Medical attention. Laboratory tests confirmed that he suffers from liver cirrhosis a condition that greatly is the cause of the ascites seen in the picture above.
Boas Chivunda is another Client who was found in pain, since he has peptic Ulcers. He shared with me that he was hospitalised for two weeks and was just discharged from the hospital. Boas spends most his time all by himself following his divorce with the wife and the son he currently stays with, is not found home most of the time because he is in employment.
The Clients were very Grateful that they were visited.
Lameck Mulenga with his Mother
Reuben Chibwe in his garden Felistas Muyoyo- Deaf and dumb
Sister Susan Katwishi
Project Coordinator
Ipafu Rural Health Centre-Chingola
- “IMPRESSIONS OF MY JOURNEY TO IPAFU CHINGOLA 16TH OCTOBER 2018’’
Do what is necessary, then what is possible and suddenly you’re able to do the impossible. (St Francis of Assisi)
On a very unique note, the Ipafu Rural Health centre has also extended it’s care to Children and Young Adults, who are Intellectually Challenged and those who suffer from Epilepsy. The Integrated Epilepsy Project at this Centre is unique in the sense that it is not only an internal initiative of the organization but something that will benefit a lot of other people in the other Health institutions in the near future.
From this origin, we can see how much passion the organization has for the most disadvantaged persons in our communities. It takes total commitment and selfishness for an institution to lend a hand to others thereby changing their way of living. This is exactly what is happening at Ipafu rural Health centre. The spirit which reigns in this centre shows a new thinking in the population.
I can only congratulate all Donors, the Staff and the Community, who have helped to create this centre, this little piece of paradise. It is really splendid – a place of hope, joy and happiness.”
It is exactly two years since the inception of the Epilepsy in Ipafu Rural Health Centre and lot has taken place. The Project is slowly but surely taking the persons with disabilities through steps to independent living, which will eventually improve their welfare in a holistic manner that does not deprive them of their association with family and the community.
- VISITORS FROM JONATHAN FOUNDATION
Piet and Anneke from the Netherlands visited the centre from the 19/10/2018 to 25/10/2018. The Planning meeting was held to draft the objectives for the next three years phase. The Community Volunteers, Youths, Patients and Members of Staff were part of the team that participated at the three days’ Planning meeting.
When the Visitors, Mr. Piet and Anneke told us that they would visit our Centre in October 2018, I took the opportunity to join them on this mission.
Leaving Kitwe from Ndola airport in the direction of Chingola town, we drove on some pot-holes and the school minibus we used gave us a shock, it developed a fun sound and a lose spare tyre was discovered to have the fault. Dr Piet took the trouble to fix the car. We drove at a slow speed to Chingola and reached Ipafu in the evening around 19.00 hours.
We all appreciated the friendliness, cooperation and commitment of the visitors. Above all we are very thankful for their, contributions and constructive input. We will be more than delighted to have the visitors from Jonathan Foundation come again given another opportunity. We promise with no doubt at all to implement what we have learnt from visitors and make use of all the materials and information to the full, for the benefit of our Vulnerable Group of people. Below are the objectives that were worked on;
- OBJECTIVES
Proposed objectives for the new project phase:
- The community is aware of the basic components of epilepsy at the end of the three- year project period
- The community is free of stigma at the end of the three-year project period
- Clients (in some cases families) are independent (self-sufficient) at the end of the three – year project period
- ACTIVITIES
- Activities related to first objective:
The volunteers who visit the identified clients and their families at their respective homes will be provided with:
- A bicycle each, including a small fund for repairs and spare parts
- Protective gear, in particular gumboots, a raincoat and an umbrella
- Capacity building through an annual refresher training and annually five one-day workshops
- Hand-outs (brochures) for the clients in vernacular (Chibemba)
- Posters (schools, shops, public places)
- Planning meetings (can be done in connection with the refresher training and workshops)
- Collaboration meetings (twice annually with all involved)
The members of staff who are involved in the project should be assisted with
- Transport funding (usage hospital/convent car) to visit selected clients
- Protective gear (see above)
- Capacity building (annually refresher course and three one-day workshops annually
- Collaboration meetings (twice annually with all involved)
The project coordinator, together with the staff will organize meetings with the leadership of the locally active churches to sensitize them on the project.
The youth should be supported like the above-mentioned volunteers (bicycles, protective gear, etc.). In addition, they should be supported for their drama activities:
- Costumes and accessories drama performance
- Drums (etc.)
- Capacity building in drama performance
- Room for Rehearsals
2. Activities related to second objective (Anti-stigma campaigns)
The activities for this objective go hand in hand with awareness campaign and in addition the following should be provided:
– Anti-stigma T-shirts
– Posters, brochures, hand-outs
– Workshop on fighting stigma (general)
3. Activities related to the third objective:
There are three groups identified, i.e. (1) clients with epilepsy, (2) clients with epilepsy and who are intellectually challenged, and (3) clients who are intellectually challenged but do not suffer from epilepsy. All three groups will be included in the project.
1. Epilepsy management
– Drugs (through the District, with a small fund to purchase in case the District runs out)
– Diary for patients to monitor seizures and adherence
– Funding for referrals (e.g. for further examination, for treatment failure, etc.)
– Client/patient friendly corner in the clinic
2. Management intellectually challenged
– Individual assessment clients
– Individual action plan (both done by specialist/consultant together with hospital staff – CO)
– Capacity building management Ipafu Rural Health Centre
– Basic equipment for assisting the clients/families of the clients in ensuring their livelihood
– Livelihood development for needy clients/their families
In addressing the need for change and the community integration of the Intellectually challenged, disabilities, it seems that we now have an opportunity to create humane, relevant, social and emotional environments that can replace rejection. The project aims to improve the welfare of the Clients in a holistic manner that does not deprive them of their association with family and the community.
- CHALLENGES
- Some children who have been integrated at Luankole Primary school find it very difficult to go to school because of the long distance from their homes.
- There is less or no care for epileptic children by some parents and guardians
- The distances covered during sensitization programmes by the youth group are very long coupled with bad roads, which makes it difficult for them to visit some communities regulary.
- WAY FORWARD
- To continue with sensitization meetings in the areas where children are coming from
- To enhance home training activities especially in the new catchment area
- To effectively implement the proposed activities, in order to meet the objectives
- RECOMMENDATIONS
- Jonathan Foundation to finance the Project during for the next three-year phase
- Further and strong networking should be encouraged especially with bigger partners
- CONCLUSION
We have the confidence that our target group (the Persons with Epilepsy) will become useful citizens and contribute productively to their immediate families and the community at large through potential use of their acquired skills and knowledge. This too will eventually develop their personal independence, enhance levels of acceptance and unconditional integration into the family and community and improved self-esteem and concept.
YOUR HELP HELPS US!!!!!
May the Project in God’s favour begin the New Year 2019 on a very happy note.
Sister Florence Ngosa
Provincial Residence-Kitwe