Hello!

Our names are Ciara Murray, Abbie McNulty, Caitlin Heraghty, and Michelle Curran, final year Occupational Therapy students in Ulster University, Derry.

In January, we will be travelling to Faridabad, India for a four-week placement. Our placement will be primarily based in KRC school, a special school that supports children with a range of additional needs, including down syndrome, infantile hemiplegia and cerebral palsy.

Many of the children who attend KRC come from slum communities, where families often experience low income and limited access to education and developmental resources.

During our placement, we aim to advocate for the role of Occupational Therapy within this setting and apply the knowledge and skills we have developed over the past two and a half years. We will work alongside local staff to share new ideas, interventions and rehabilitation approaches to support the children’s development and participation in daily life.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

As this trip is completely self-funded, we are looking for support to help us purchase resources that we can use throughout our placement and leave behind so the children can continue to benefit from them.

Examples of resources:

• Fine motor tools: threading beads, peg boards.

• Sensory and play items: fidget toys, bubbles, playdough, peanut balls, play parachute, play tunnel.

• Arts and crafts materials: paper, crayons, paints, colouring pencils, stickers, chalk

• Hygiene items: toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, hairbrushes, etc.

• Durable toys: building blocks, puzzles, mini bean bags, soft balls.

• Adaptive aids: cutlery and handwriting aids to promote fine motor skills.

With these resources we will be facilitating arts and crafts activities to promote fine motor skills, developing playground activities to encourage gross motor development, delivering hygiene education and developing person-centred interventions to promote the independence and wellbeing of these children.

We would also appreciate donations of second-hand clothes/shoes or toys in good condition that we could gift to the children.

We’re so grateful for any donations to help make this placement possible.

If you have any questions/donations, feel free to contact on Instagram:

Caitlin.heraghty5

Ciara_m04

Abbiemcnulty_

Michellecurran_

We’re so excited and thankful for the opportunity to learn and give back in a context very different from our usual placements.

Thank you for considering supporting this meaningful project!