...Acted upon reflection and reflected upon action...

INSIGHTCallan Services For Disabled Persons in Papua New Guinea

Volume 1, Issue No 3 Circulation Date: 30th September 2013

Headline Page

Editor’s Note Book 2

Rubbish Collectors 3

Gerehu SERC challenges 4

Highlights of CNTS 5

Personal Reflection 6

Leadership Stories 7

Vanimo SERC News 8

Back Cover 9

Callan Services National Unit Phone Number: 456 3510P O Box 706 Fax: 456 2924Wewak Email: csnu@global.net.pg /KPRyan@edmundrice.orgEast Sepik Province

Editing, Layout and Design: P. HikinsProduction: Callan Services National UnitCirculation: Volume 1, Issue 3

“Acted upon reflection and reflectedupon action” is the phrase for this quarter. I gotthis statement from the Christian Brothers Oceania Prov-ince Updates and specifically from the address by MarkMcGlaughlin who is the Deputy Director of Province Mis-sion of the Edmund Rice Foundation.

I like this statement because I think it fits well with our situation here atCallan Services. I also like to think that we (all of us in the Network of Cal-lan Services) should take some moments and reflect upon the amount ofwork we have done and what these things would mean for our clients outthere.

It is my hope that the stories, articles and news that are emerging out ofthis edition will throw some light on what I would imagine to be “Actedupon reflection and reflected upon action”.

Our special thanks to those people who have contributed stories and photographs for this edition of Insight. Special word of thanks to Br Kevin Ryanfor being the co editor of this version of Insight as well. All of your insightand creativity will go a long way.

Happy Reading and God Bless

Patrick B. Hikin

Editor

Editor’s Note Book

Volume 1, Issue 3 Page 2

What is Insight?INSIGHT is CallanServices NationalUnit’s quarterlynewsletter. Thenewsletter is notjust a “newsletter.It’s more than anewsletter. It isabout creativity andcuriosity. It coversa wide range of sto-ries, information,jokes, editorialsabout the network ofCallan Services forDisabled Persons.

The main objectiveof the newsletter isto inspire, shareand advocate on be-half of the specialeducation resourcecenters in Papua NewGuinea about theroles they play toimprove the lives ofpersons living withdisabilities.

As a partner you areinvited to shareyour views aboutthis newsletter.Please feel free tocontribute yourideas, stories andsayings to insight.

Your contribution isnot only for peopleto read about youridea or story but toshare the liberatingheart of God.

Volume 1, Issue 3 Page 3

Special Education News

Teachers are Rubbish CollectorsLook at how some of these teachers have been innovative rubbishcollectors. Isn’t it powerful?

If you have heard the phrase ‘Rubbish Collectors’ and have been wondering who that might be or know whobears this title but have more or less no knowledge about them then you should read on. When you seesomeone looking for empty cartons, plastic containers/bags, empty tins/cans (food and drinks), then theyare not crazy people but they are people who make crazy things out of this rubbish. Their creativity andinnovation in turning this rubbish into something interesting and exciting is not for them to display theirability and skills but importantly to make complicated concepts easier for children in the primary schoolsto learn and understand.

In the weeks leading up to this month’s residential session for the Applied Diploma in Special Education,our Callan Studies National Institute (CSNI) lecturers were spotted scouring the Kaindi campus for rubbish.Yes, rubbish: empty tins, discarded cardboard, the little plastic tabs that hold bread bags closed, and evenempty shells with no food in them whatsoever. These items may have been rubbish when the lecturers re-trieved them from bins, but by the end of the teachers’ two-week session they had been transformed intosomething much more dignified—recycled materials. We at CSNI are great believers in teachers as recyclersand creative professionals who take what used to be rubbish and transform it into attractive educationalmaterials for their stu-dents. We’re impressedwith the teach- ers who at-tended our ses- sion in We-wak at the be- ginning ofthis month. Look at what theymade—out of rubbish.

From left to right: Philomina Magner, Gaius Wapi, Martin Kuian, Alice Junias, Risimari Kelia, Rose Kum(lecturer), and Francisca Emos

Volume 1, Issue 3 Page 5

Road access is a barrier to our Special Education Resource Centre Services.

How do I engage the local people to ‘the need of fixing this bad road condition’ which is a great barrierto clients coming to get the service from us?

Anybody who comes to Callan Special Education Resource Centre Gerehu must cross this big pot hole full ofwater. This water comes from a broken water pipe which runs undergroundfrom one house to the other. It has been not been addressed since we estab-

lished in this area.

“Is it my responsibility to fixthis road?” I have shared thisquestion with people who comefor our service. My intentionwas to hear who is responsibleand if it is the community’sthinking that it is unmet needsfrom their local member andthe road service division of theNational Capital District. Itneeded more time to identifythe Community Leaders and keypeople to work with and theright place(s) to get help fromin order to get this road fixed.

And from conversations at different times with a few people of different status,‘it will be fixed’. But the next question now is when?

However, despite this barrier, we had a successful 9 months settling into the new working environment anddiscovering a lot about the people’s life style. Our adaptation to the Gerehu and nearby areas is an on go-ing process.

In our Special Education Resource Centre there are both successful and challenging stories. It is a wonder-ful experience to protect and promote the rights of children and elderly with disabilities in some of theselocal communities. In the heart of our work, our services have created a respectful and healthy relation-ships for us (staff), families, communities and our partner stake holders. Despite the many threateningstories you may hear about Port Moresby, especially Gerehu Stage 6 (our location) we are being looked af-ter and get moral support in the services we already provide for all, especially persons with disabilities.

When services are being challenged what are thefeelings like? Let’s see what’s going on withGerehu SERC?

Road accessis a barrier toour SpecialEducationResourceCenter Ser-vices

Page 5Volume 1, Issue 3

In many occasions people think that a big number of people does good work. Butfor the Callan National Training Services (CNTS) the story is otherwise opposite.Let us see how seven people are able to handle and deliver these serviceswithin the period between July and September.

In July in the absence of Lucy Aupong the CSNU National Trainer in Physiotherapy, Peter Sindu Monitoring andEvaluation (M andE) officer assisted in coordinating the Ponsetti skills training for the invited Physiotherapists, Doc-tors, a clinician and an admin staff of some of the country’s base hospitals at Mingende. The training was conductedby our regular visiting doctor, Dr. Steve Mannion (thank you CBM one of our Funding Partners) from the 16 th to the18thof July.

Following that Dr Steve travelled to Kimbe and did some operationson 11club foot and bone deformities for another four days, beforeleaving the country. Both activities turned out very successful and agolden opportunity for our Physiotherapist to acquire the skills as Iheard ponsetti method is not a key feature in the training package ofthe physio department and Divine Word University.Congratulations toLucy, Peter and all other personnel that were involved in the orga-nizing of the two activities!

August saw our specialist man behind the eye trainings, DharmaGuragain begin the advanced eye skills and refraction training toouratwo participants: namely Thomas Toropa (Callan SERC Gerehu)and Jane Saun (CSNU National Ear and Eye Trainer). The first phaseof the training is being held in Wewak and the last phase of it will becompleted in Goroka. Thanks Dharma for your expertise, knowledge

and skills.

Mental health is a difficult field in working with the clients ashas been and is experienced by the SERCs that have taken onboard the program. Sr. Lorna Kawa (CNTS Coordinator)conducted two trainings in Kimbe and Mingende. Generally there was a good attendance and participation from theSERCs’ staff and volunteers in both trainings. The challenge here for them is to reach out to our so called ‘longlongs’and mainly identify and do referrals to their respective psychiatric units in the hospital for medication.

Sherm Passingan (also a National Trainer and Ear and Eye), after attend-ing to family deaths and couldn’t get back to us for a month or so wasfinally assisted by Michael Lulu to conduct two lower level skills in eartraining in Gerehu and then Madang.

Many thanks Sherm for you time and sharing of your knowledge and skillswith the Network staff.

Finally but not the least the Child Protection program had two trainingsrunning in one week from the 9th to the 13th of September. We were ableto kill two birds with one stone! The training was under the auspices ofDr. Pauline Meemeduma (Christian Brothers Oceania Province Child Pro-tection Officer) who flew up all the way from Australia.

The first training went for three days, a refresher for the trainers forthe Child Protection Foundational Training provided to all Networkstaff, while the second one was a leadership training that went for two days. Total participants for the two trainingswas 21, 3 TOTs and 19 for the Leadership one.

The participants expressed their appreciation and how privileged they were to have been chosen to attend the lead-ership training (see next page). They have learnt good knowledge to try and become as the saying goes:

Photo: Ponsetti Training and Surgery conducted at Mingendie

Photo: Dr Pauline Memeeduma explainingthe governance management to participants

RememberA good leader is a good managerA good manager is good leader

Sometimes when hardship and difficulty hit you, you lose focus andconfidence of who and what you want to be. But for Anna it seems thegoal is yet to come.

This is my own life story and of my schooling year beginning with my grade three to grade eight. When Iwas small I usually imagined to be a highly paid working person. During those times I liked listening to sto-

ries from my father and then went to narrate them to my friends.My hobby in school was playing volleyball and I always thought of becoming anaccountant.

I was aiming to be a highly paid working class or simply an accountant. Unfor-tunately I got sick and became who I am today. When I was sick and got admit-ted, my mum was the one who cared for me. She prayed and asked God for hishelp and he did.

I am healed but the sad part is who I am today. I didn’t give up but still contin-ued my lower primary education studies, even though its very tough. And withthe help of my hard working teacher brought me up to do my grade 9 at Don

Bosco Secondary. I left my mum at Wewak and came to Vanimo to com-plete my year 8 at Baro Primary School. I saw that my teachers were

kind and helpful to me. It is because of them that I am here. Although life can be difficult for me at somestage but (I believe) this is not the end. I will still aim for my ambition.

Volume 1, Issue 3 Page 8

Vision and Perseverance is part of Anna Samingian’s Life

Anna Samingian

A workshop on leadership and management was facilitated by Dr Pauline Memeeduma. The work-shop was attended by 20 participants. Most of these leaders are staff members of the Special Edu-cation Resource Centers that are in the network of Callan Services. The workshop was organizedby Sr Lorna Kawa and Br Kevin Ryan of the Callan Services National Unit. The workshop specifi-cally covered areas in Governance Management and Leadership, Operational Management andLeadership and Evaluation leadership. The workshop included group work which encouraged par-ticipants to reflect on their own worksettings and developed governancestructures for the service models intheir own working environment.The workshop ended on Friday 13th atthe Emmaus Retreat Center, DonBosco Techni- cal Institute in Port Mo-resby.

Page 7Volume 1, Issue 3

Paving the way for New Leaders —A leadership perspective

Photo: Participants of the Leadership and Management WorkshopStanding: Left: Blaise Semoso, Sr Lorna Kawa, Br Kevin Ryan and participantsSitting: Left: Lasalla Aipi, Malcolm Kewa, Pauline Memeeduma and participants

Photo: Participants in the Southern Region led by Alotau SERC staff ex-plaining the service model to the participants and to Southern group

Photo: Godfrey explain his service model to theparticipants

The Province of Vanimo is blessed with the opening up of a new Special Education Resource Center in thenetwork of Callan Services National Unit. The center is one of the exceptional outcomes of the National

HearingEducation andHealth Projectfor establishingthe DERU at BaroPrimary Schoolwhere the centreis located. Thecenter iscontinuing tomaintain theachievements ofthe project.

The centre is blessed with few buildings and thirteen (13) staff, the highest number in a SERC in thecountry. Is that reality? No, because two entities are using the same facilities. But the question is: “Is thatinclusiveness? YES….. SERC Vanimo is currently staffed with four and Fiona as the assistant teacher.

Baro Primary School has nine (9) staffs. Together the staffs bothfrom the Vanimo SERC and Baro Primary are working hand inhand to addressspecialeducationneeds inVanimo. For methat isinclusiveness,stated MrValentine Masa.Mr ValentineMasa is

currently the coordinator of the Vanimo SERCand hopes to see more in the future forpeople with disability.

Page 8Volume 1, Issue 3

Vanimo is a New Special Education Resource Center

Fiona, Olivia, Anna, Willie and Mrs Jalyau, Jill Laina, Willie Akela & Anna have continued to DBSS

Jill Laina is Grade 8 Dux, Student with deafness at InclusiveBaro is an achievement of DERU and the promotion of Edu-cation for all.

SERC staffs, Baro staffs, school chairman and Br Kevin Ryanstanding at the back row

Callan Services National UnitP O Box 706WewakEast Sepik ProvinceTel: 456 3510Fax: 456 1910Email: KPRyan@edmundrice.org

If you do not hope,you will not find

what is beyond yourhopes

St Clement of Alexandria

The Thinking Corner: Put on yourthinking cap— Find a saying for next issueand post it to Insight

Callan Services for Disabled Persons islocated in the following areas:AITAPEALOTAUDARUBUKAGEREHUGOROKAKAVIENGKIMBEKIUNGAMADANGMANUSMENDIMINGENDIEMOROBEMT HAGENRABAULWABAGWEWAKVANIMO

Page 9Volume 1, Issue 3