Monthly Archive for February, 2004

February 2004 – Tracey Napa

Published by Tracey Napa on February 22, 2004 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Upon arriving for my first day of work and straight into a 3 hr staff meeting, I was able to get a comprehensive idea of some of the very many issues that clients and the Deaf Mental Health Service (DMHS) face and are working towards improving.

One problem to deal with is the abysmally low funding in Mental Health Services, and the DMHS is feeling the brunt of this. A prime example is the shortage of company cars for the DMHS Auckland staff (required to travel from Northland to Tauranga) meaning that our long distance clients cannot be easily accessed. For Deaf people who are in need of the Mental Health Service, this isolation can exacerbate the sense of alienation and feelings of loneliness many suffer from.

There were many other relevant and ongoing issues discussed at this meeting that I will concern myself with in the year ahead – and I’m now excited about the field of work I’ve dedicated myself to.

The next task for the week was having my new PDA/phone, computer and printer set up. I am excited at the prospect of the creative ventures and possible potential for this equipment.

As the cell phone and computer buzzed to life I had a momentous “WOoOoowW” factor and the clarity of how easy it was to use my new phone, finally dawned on me. After years of having always borrowed friend’s computers and equipment, this has all come at a perfect time and I already have plans to use my new digital camera to assist with the development of visual aids which the service want to use as tools for promoting well-being.

I feel it is a huge and wonderful opportunity to get involved with this fantastic career. It’s a job I know I will enjoy immensely and now believe is my vocational calling. It’s a dream come true and I’m absolutely rapt to be here and working for such a very great cause!

All the superlatives in the world, cheers Tracey.

Tracey

February 2004 – Paul Jeffries

Published by Paul Jeffries on February 22, 2004 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Well here we are in March already and the days are flying by with a lot of activity.

My story started on 11th August 2002, when my wife and I watched a TVNZ documentary on a Kiwi doctor working in the remote province of Malampa, Vanuatu. Inspired by his works, we felt that there was a lot that could be done from this end to assist.

However, after struggling to juggle paid employment here in New Zealand and charitable aid works in Vanuatu, we soon realized that our passionate wish to assist was impacting on our family’s financial state drastically. Sure the kids could go without the latest toys and we could go without SKY television, but the mortgage had to be paid and we needed food on the table.

It soon became evident that we could not continue for much longer… but as fate would have it, I was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of the four “World of Difference” recipients.

Now with the assistance of the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation, we are able to continue our works.

There are three areas that I will be addressing and working on this year; water reticulation, communications and transport.

All three take innocent lives every year, unnecessarily.

The tasks I aim to achieve are:

To build twelve 20,000-litre water tanks in the health clinics and also in some of the remote areas where water is not readily available.
To supply a communications network to cover the 2500-square kilometres of the province.
To supply vehicles for the volunteer work groups and hospital staff to enable easier transport around the province.
I’ve had one trip already this year to Vanuatu’s remote Malakula Island to work on water reticulation and I return on 13th March to start the construction of two 20,000-litre water tanks.

I hope that you will travel with me throughout the year and follow the Trust’s progress, as we indeed “Make a World of Difference”.

Paul

February 2004 – Margaret Suman

Published by Margaret Suman on February 20, 2004 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Well, we’ve hit the ground running and have realised after volunteering at the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust nursery for over one year now there are no slow times.

There’s always something to do from pricking out seedlings and potting on plants, to repairing plumbing and moving plants (always moving plants), basically it’s never ending.

DOC Conservation Corps
Early in February we had a very successful meeting with the DOC Conservation Corps. They’re a great group of young adults who are learning new skills to either find a job in conservation or become more involved with conservation issues. We’re going to help them build their own nursery to grow native plants for their own habitats.

Their main priority, Boulder Beach, is one of the more successful breeding spots for the yellow-eyed penguins on the Otago Peninsula. Planting started there over 10 years ago and now they want to increase the variety of plants grown. By increasing the biodiversity of plant species they are hoping to attract other native wildlife to recolonise the area.

DCC Track Week Walk at the YEPT Okia Reserve
We also joined forces with the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust Ranger, David McFarlane, to develop and produce an information sheet for a track walk at one of our habitats. This involved writing the copy, taking the photos, marking the track and tidying up the planted areas. A wonderful group effort enjoyed by all, one of the Trustees liked it so much she wants to incorporate it with another walk on the same reserve.

We found that the more time we spent at the reserve, the more we want to share our discoveries with others – from rare orchids and broadleaf seedlings to a host of wildlife like sea lions and butterflies.

Sinclair Wetlands
Last week we took a group of volunteers over to Sinclair Wetlands to help with weed eradication on a lovely reserve. Mike Hazel (the part time care taker at the wetlands) has been a volunteer with the Trust for many years and has helped us in so many ways that we wanted to give him a helping hand back. He also has a nursery where we enjoyed comparing notes on our successful and not so successful horticultural endeavours.

Finally, this month we basked in the technology provided by the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation. The new camera takes some wonderful close-ups of flowering plants, the laptop comes in handy at the nursery (especially the GPRS since we don’t have a phone line), and the mobile phone has all the gadgets we need and then some.

Loving it!
Anita and Margaret

February 2004 – Victoria Carpenter

Published by Victoria Carpenter on February 2, 2004 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Well 2004 has been 10 weeks of momentous changes so far, and I have a sneaking suspicion that that there are 42 more of them to come. This rapid change takes a bit of getting used to, its “Goodbye consistency-hello challenges”.

I have only been at Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) for 8 days! It started with technology training the day after I got back from my honeymoon and the following day I went straight into my first full day of work.

MDA is a well-established charity and was set up in the 1950s to support affected individuals and their families. Today MDA provides information, physiotherapy review, assessment service, camps, workshops, quarterly magazine and a 3 yearly conference.

What the organisation lacks however is a strong public profile and strong public recognition, decent brand awareness if you like! …and this is where I come in. My first week was busily spent trying to collate promotion ideas and bounce them off people to see what would work and what wouldn’t.

My first port of call was other MDA’s in our region, looking at their websites and talking to them about what they are doing to increase their profiles. The MDA in NSW have a really strong brand and considerable corporate support, I got in touch with them and I am going to go and see them, pick their brains and see what of their initiatives can be utilized over here.

My first working week has also coincided with Bowtie week, which is MDA’s annual appeal. Head office has been a buzz organizing a street appeal campaign and sending out bowtie display packs to sponsors.

Another event from which the MDA will receive proceeds is a Truck Show at Motat (Auckland) – this was meant to occur in tandem with the launch of Bowtie week but due to the inclement weather the show has had to be postponed till April 4. It’s a shame but when it does take place it will hopefully raise some much-needed awareness.

Finally, we have just had a “bodyboard” built in our Neuromuscular Physio’s office enabling MDA members to literally Velcro themselves to the wall. They will be able to stretch out their limbs, in many cases where there is no muscle to support an extension legs arms hands etc will not have been stretched for ages. Funny how a little thing like stretching can become a luxury, something you can only do if someone takes your limb and stretches it out for you, hard for most of us to imagine.

So this has been a busy one and a half weeks, lots to do and lots to organize. Onto the MDA public relations (PR) plan next and my intensive PR course not to mention the rescheduled Truck show and meeting with the MDA in Australia. See you next month!

Victoria