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An orphanage has become the centre of a strengthening mutual relationship between Charles Sturt University and children with disabilities in Vietnam. 

 

A Charles Sturt University student (left) with a
Phu My resident and carer: it's a two way street.
photo: coutesy CSU

A project that helps children with disabilities living in a Vietnamese orphanage is building a close relationship between health services and educators in Australia and Vietnam.

Phu My Orphanage, located in Ho Chi Minh City, has helped over 30 students from Charles Sturt University’s School of Community Health complete the clinical practice requirements for their degrees over the past three years.

The CSU students, all in their final years of their four-year allied health degrees, work closely with the 350 children and their carers residing in the orphanage, together with 200 children who also attend the orphanage daily for their schooling.

CSU project coordinators Associate Professor Lindy McAllister (top right)
and Professor Gail Whiteford (bottom left).
Photo: Richard Williams

“The kids have a wide range of disabilities, from limbs lost through exploding mines leftover from the Vietnam War to those with cerebral palsy, severe intellectual impairments, autism or genetic conditions such as Down Syndrome,” said program coordinator Associate Professor Lindy McAllister.

“When I first visited Phu My in 2001, I was stunned by the lack of resources and skills available to help these children lead fulfilling, independent lives. The love, care and concern was certainly evident, but local staff lacked the resources and specialist training to set these children on a rehabilitative path.”

Charles Sturt University’s School of Community Health then investigated building a relationship with the orphanage and has since established a program that sends up to 12 final year occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy students to assist in working with the children and staff of Phu My for up to six weeks each year.

“This is an extraordinary learning experience for our students - working with children who have complex and specialised needs - and doing this in a vastly different cultural setting. It’s extremely rewarding and challenging for us and we often talk together of the things we have gained from our work at the orphanage,” said Professor of Occupational Therapy Gail Whiteford.The two academics have found that students who worked in this intensive hands-on environment have come to better appreciate the vital role of early intervention, developed skills and learned how to work as an interdisciplinary team and developed skills in cross-cultural practice, particularly with the ten local physiotherapists and small army of volunteer carers.

A personal account - "My first day" “As I removed my thongs and stepped onto the cold stone floor, my eyes adjusted - there was row upon row of shiny silver cots as far as they eye could see. Within these cots were numerous big brown eyes looking up from contorted bodies, while other mobile children immediately descended on us touching our skin, hair, and jewellery and jumping all over us. “As I attempted to communicate with one girl in a cot, she flung herself across the cot- towards me. It was certainly an eye-opening day, a lot more full-on than I expected”. CSU occupational therapy student Bridget Leahy, 12 April 2004

Final year occupational therapy student Bridget Leahy, who worked in 2004 at Phu My, would love to return to see the results of her work at the orphanage.

“It is important to meet all needs of the child, not just the physical. By making small changes to their living and learning facilities we can provide children with opportunities to improve their quality of life,” Leahy said.

“One aspect our group concentrated on was to improve stimulation from the surrounding environment. Working with an occupational therapy technician from Melbourne, we developed a folding sensory frame to help the children play and interact more easily, while keeping the frame simple and easy to erect and reproduce,” she said.

“We also helped develop ways for some children to eat and move more easily. In the long run, this will assist the local physiotherapists and carers to spend more time working with the children instead having them concentrate on just feeding.”

This year will see the program expand to include training for orphanage staff in Australia, where Phu My paediatrician Dr Giang studied paediatric, neurological and rehabilitation techniques in Australia for six months in 2004 with the world class New Children's Hospital in Westmead, Sydney. He also investigated Charles Sturt University’s highly successful early intervention health programs based in Albury-Wodonga.

The next group of CSU students will arrive at Phu My in early April and return to Australia in May.

“This is an extraordinary learning experience for our students - working with children who have complex and specialised needs - and doing this in a vastly different cultural setting."
CSU students, left, share their efforts and skills with the staff of Phu My.
Professor Gail Whiteford
photo: coutesy CSU

ends

Publication Date: 12 Sep 2005

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Editor's Note: Lindy McAllister is CSU’s Associate Professor of Speech Pathology with the School of Community Health and national President of Speech Pathology Australia. Gail Whiteford is Head of Albury-Wodonga Campus, CSU Professor of Occupational Therapy and Director of the University’s Centre for Research into Professional Practice, Learning and Education.

Media Note: Print quality versions of pictures in this story are available from the CSU Media Office.

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