Examples of Organisations OT's could work in

There are a number of Aid organizations and NGO's currently working globally to eliminate poverty and work with people in need, assisting them in improving their quality of life. Although these organizations are not OT specific, they are very much suited to the skills and roles of the Occupational Therapist. Occupational Therapists can assist these organizations develop an occupational perspective when working with people in poverty and be valuable team members.

Examples of organizations which Occupational Therapists could work with:

• The “Global Poverty Project" is an educational and campaigning organisation that activates citizens to be a part of the global movement to end extreme poverty: http://www.globalpovertyproject.com 

• "PATH"  is an international nonprofit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. By collaborating with diverse public- and private-sector partners, we help provide appropriate health technologies and vital strategies that change the way people think and act. Our work improves global health and well-being. http://www.path.org/get-involved/index.php

• The "Oaktree Foundation: Schools4Schools": A campaign in which Australian schools partner with an African school. A peer education group is formed where students have socialization, find meaning and belonging, and actively participate in.

• “Trade Aid” is a not-for-profit organisation that supports producers with support through buying and selling their products at fair prices, sharing their stories and speaking out against injustice in the world trade markets.
• “TearFund” and "Worldvision" are both Christian humanitarian organizations that are passionate about bringing justice and transforming lives to overcome global poverty. 
• “Grameen Foundation” is a non-profit organisation that helps the world's poorest, especially women, improve their lives and escape poverty by providing them with access to small loans, essential information, and viable business opportunities. 
• "Alliance for Youth Achievement" mission is to improve the lives of children in Africa by meeting their basic needs and providing opportunities for them to reach their fullest potential.  By working alongside African partners, AYA is able to provide food and clean water, orphan care, education, medical care (including prevention education re HIV/AIDS), and income projects to the children they serve.http://allforyouth.org/
• "Alpha Communities"assists local initiatives and promotes community based responses that impact poverty through education, health care, service provision and agricultural development. Alpha presently works with communities in China and Mongolia.http://www.alphacommunities.org/

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Above: Powerful animation on the shortage of health workers, produced by the Global Health Workforce Alliance, UK. Although this is specifically targeted at Medical Staff, Occupational Therapists have a large part play in health promotion and providing a way for healthier living. 

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The Occupational Therapy Africa Regional Group (OTARG) is in-charge of training Occupational Therapists in line with the needs of the Disabled in Africa. They are holding a OT Conference in Sept 2011 and will be discussing the following abstracts. 

Please read the abstracts below to gain an understanding of how  the Occupational Therapy profession can assist in the movement of eradicating poverty and enabling those living with disabilities in poverty to gain a better quality of life.

ERADICATE POVERTY & HUNGER: 

This goal seeks to make the right to development a reality for everyone and to free the majority of the world’s population from want. Low human development is associated with poor health and limited education, both of which lead to the loss of power to choose what is best to improve well being. What role can occupational therapy play in turning the tide?

• Sustainable development 
• Supports the identification of people-centred initiatives to develop a range of skills that can lift them out of extreme poverty  and promotes participation in livelihood activities
• Practice that preserves health and well-being of families and their community. 
• Innovative strategies for increasing sources of livelihood       

 ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION:

 In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are an unacceptably high number of children who do not have the opportunity to start school, or who drop out of school at some point. Occupational therapists can play a role in enabling all children including disabled children and those considered “at-risk”, to start and progress through school. The Health Promoting Schools approach is a useful framework for occupational therapists to contribute to the goal of achieving universal primary school education.

• Occupational Therapy support to children
• Developing healthy public policies e.g. HIV/AIDS policy
• Creating supportive environments e.g. teacher support and wellbeing programmes
• Developing personal skills e.g. life skills for teenagers
• Strengthening community action e.g. involving community organisations in schools

Re-orientating school programmes and related services e.g. afterschool leisure programmes.

 PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY:

 Occupational therapy in Africa (and abroad) is increasingly embracing the need for a social vision of a more just society to address experiences of marginalization, deprivation and isolation in different contexts. Occupational therapy scholars and practitioners are called upon to be more politically conscious, as human rights advocates in advancing social justice.

Social change areas:

• a commitment to eradicate the disparities based on gender equality
• empowerment of women
• safeguarding women’s rights
• Support that women’s economic advancement can have on the development of communities and our society at large. 

 REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY & IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH:

These two goals are closely related to the health and reduction of deaths of children and their mothers.   Environments that promote early development of children are dependent on social participation and well-being. There is an important link between immunizations and disability prevention. Children at risk of impairments because of birth trauma, premature birth, infectious diseases and nervous system and sensory order impairments are also vulnerable.

• Targeted occupational-based programmes and partnerships between government and NGOs to reduce child trauma and violence on children in families and households;
• Access to nutritional programmes and food security;
• Access to health care and development practice;
• CBR and other community development strategies to improve access to services, early intervention, livelihood opportunities etc.
• Promoting the well-being and reproductive rights of women
• Strategies to improving access to health care for pregnant women and children in different contexts

 COMBAT HIV, TB, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES:

 Sub-Saharan Africa carries the heaviest burden of disease related to HIV, TB and Malaria, compared to other developing or developed countries. Occupational perspectives of health in relation to these illnesses, beyond the views that are limited to medical perspectives, have as yet not been sufficiently explored or articulated in literature. Occupational therapy practitioners from different regions in Africa have, however, developed innovative programmes and used strategies aimed at helping those infected or affected by HIV, TB, Malaria or other diseases fulfil their occupational aspirations.

• Links between marginalisation, occupational risk and illness
• Networking opportunities to raise awareness about occupational perspectives and their contribution to lessening the burden of disease for individuals, groups or populations
• Programmes to support caregivers
• Palliative care
• Early intervention especially also related to children with CP, developmental delay etc

 ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Occupational Therapy has an important role to play in promoting the target of integrating principles of sustainable development into policies and programmes. The profession can ensure that such integration reduces the loss of environmental resources. We hold the potential to contribute since the occupations that people engage in are pivotal to the mitigation of climate change and food security. It is known that individuals, communities and organisations have to adapt their occupations in anticipation of, or already in response to, their changing biodiversity (i.e. the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem or on the entire Earth).

Promotion of visions of occupational justice related to:

• Initiate or support efforts to bring drinking water and promote sanitation to underserviced communities
• Subsistence farming and agriculture work including fishing,
• Energy-saving devices for daily living, and
• Adaptation of environments.

 DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT:

 A partnership implies inclusion, which means everyone. International cooperation (partnerships) and development programmes should be inclusive of and accessible to all marginalised groups. To achieve sustainable development the active cooperation and participation of all members of the community is needed. National and international organisations in the world community, Disabled Person’s Organisations (DPOs), and also occupational therapy associations and networks have an important role to play in promoting inclusive development. Networking is also of importance for the development of Occupational Therapy especially as in Africa where most occupational therapists work in isolation still having to convince others of the need and importance of the professions and working in under resourced settings.
Find out more @ http://www.otarg.org.za  

Above: This is a Project in Nepal which is empowering people to take care of themselves through occupations, such as agriculture.