Giving Communication
Donation protected
Recently I was given the opportunity to go to Belize on a short-term medical mission trip. It was a wonderful experience with dedicated and compassionate professionals, and I was able to do two things that are very dear to my heart: 1) hold teacher trainings (pictured), and 2) encourage and guide distraught parents of children with various communication problems.
More specifically, I did half day teacher trainings in an area of great need yet very little resources - working with children with communication disorders and special needs. Some of the teachers were given charge of these children not necessarily because they've received specialized training but because they are willing and kind-hearted people hoping to make a difference in their lives. I was also able to give these teachers lots of teaching materials and supplies which were donated to me by generous colleagues and friends, and in the end, I was asked by several to please return and do more trainings.
At the mobile clinics we held, I was able to screen children and give their parents tips on what they can do at home to help them, but it was difficult to leave knowing no speech/language services are available in the country of Belize and many of these children will continue as they are, like the sweet and mild-mannered 12-year-old girl who can only express a handful of words, or the fiery 7-year-old boy who was being bullied in school for stuttering and who would pound himself on the chest to attempt to get his words out and make the stuttering go away, or the 9-year-old girl who was so difficult to understand because of multiple sound errors in her conversational speech.
On our recent visit to Brazil, I saw similar things. Speech/language services are present there but primarily available through the private sector and rarely provided by the schools, so many families are left without any assistance for their children. I was able to work with a 12-year-old boy who could not make K and G sounds at all, but he never had access to services, and within 6-8 weeks of online therapy which I volunteered, he was able to achieve a high rate of success in conversation, his parents noticed a significant difference in his speech, and even his classroom teacher was spontaneously asking him to read aloud and participate more in class because of his newfound speech clarity and confidence.
So my desire and request is simple. I want to be able to provide speech/language therapy and resources for children and families who don't have access to services, and I would also like the ability to do more specialized teacher trainings where needed. For $200, one child can receive 6-8 weeks of online therapy (this is at HALF the median hourly rate speech therapists receive across the United States).
If you feel prompted to give, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I read a quote today by Martin Luther King, Jr. that “Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.” So this is my first step...
More specifically, I did half day teacher trainings in an area of great need yet very little resources - working with children with communication disorders and special needs. Some of the teachers were given charge of these children not necessarily because they've received specialized training but because they are willing and kind-hearted people hoping to make a difference in their lives. I was also able to give these teachers lots of teaching materials and supplies which were donated to me by generous colleagues and friends, and in the end, I was asked by several to please return and do more trainings.
At the mobile clinics we held, I was able to screen children and give their parents tips on what they can do at home to help them, but it was difficult to leave knowing no speech/language services are available in the country of Belize and many of these children will continue as they are, like the sweet and mild-mannered 12-year-old girl who can only express a handful of words, or the fiery 7-year-old boy who was being bullied in school for stuttering and who would pound himself on the chest to attempt to get his words out and make the stuttering go away, or the 9-year-old girl who was so difficult to understand because of multiple sound errors in her conversational speech.
On our recent visit to Brazil, I saw similar things. Speech/language services are present there but primarily available through the private sector and rarely provided by the schools, so many families are left without any assistance for their children. I was able to work with a 12-year-old boy who could not make K and G sounds at all, but he never had access to services, and within 6-8 weeks of online therapy which I volunteered, he was able to achieve a high rate of success in conversation, his parents noticed a significant difference in his speech, and even his classroom teacher was spontaneously asking him to read aloud and participate more in class because of his newfound speech clarity and confidence.
So my desire and request is simple. I want to be able to provide speech/language therapy and resources for children and families who don't have access to services, and I would also like the ability to do more specialized teacher trainings where needed. For $200, one child can receive 6-8 weeks of online therapy (this is at HALF the median hourly rate speech therapists receive across the United States).
If you feel prompted to give, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I read a quote today by Martin Luther King, Jr. that “Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.” So this is my first step...
Organizer
Ana Paula Mumy
Organizer
Colorado Springs, CO
