To operate in a peripatetic role as a professional mentor by providing
a reference point for the locally trained Occupational Therapists.
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Country:
Uganda is a beautiful country
with outstanding natural scenery but a checkered political history
since it achieved its independence from the United Kingdom and became
the Republic of Uganda in 1962. The 236,580 sq. kms. landlocked area
is mainly flat with mountains only at the east and west margins. Consequently
it has a consistent tropical climate with temperatures reaching a
high of 29 degrees Celsius (summer day) and a low of 16 degrees (winter
night) tempered by the 1000m altitude.
The land varies from semi-desert in the northeast to the lush and
fertile shores of Lake Victoria and River Victoria Nile which flows
through the country and provides arable areas. The rainy seasons in
the south are from April to May and October to November. In the north
the wet season is from April to October and the dry from November
to March. Humidity is low outside the wet seasons.
Despite the fluctuating political climate in the recent past and the
nearness of civil war in neighboring countries causing an overflow
of refugees, the economy is expanding rapidly.
Agriculture accounts for 70% of the gross domestic product and employs
90% of the workforce. Coffee, sugar, cotton and tea are the main export
crops; maize, millet, cassava, sweet potato, cereals, beans are locally
consumed. Manufactured goods are textiles, soap, cement and steel
products and in a thriving economy are set to expand. It has natural
resources of copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone and salt.
Uganda's population of 23 million has a wide mix of tribes and languages
although most can speak English, the official language. While 66%
of the population are Christian the remaining practise animism or,
a few, Islam.
There is a good system of sealed roads between large towns and bus
services, post buses, minibuses and taxis run on a daily basis although
conditions can vary and potholes are a regular feature to be aware
of. Fuel is very expensive. The trains do not carry passengers at
the present time, services having been suspended indefinitely.
Region
Kampala is a green and attractive capital city steadily being rebuilt
following earlier civil disruption. It is built on seven hills with
flowering summits, large houses and cooler air compared to the busy
and bustling valleys where the sops, services, businesses, government
offices and every day life takes place.
It has the usual range of shops, foreign exchange bureau, banks, airline
offices, telephone, e mail and Internet facilities, and a noted nightlife
of bars, clubs, discos and live music. The international airport is
at Entebbe, 35 kms from Kampala, and there are buses running from
Kampala to Arusha (Tanzania) and Kisumu (Kenya) as well as local towns.
Ferry services are also available on Lake Victoria.
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Duties
and Responsibilities
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To act
as professional mentor to locally trained and qualified Occupational
Therapists providing services in various locations throughout
Uganda. The actual locations will be agreed and confirmed in conjunction
with the Disability and Rehabilitation Section of the Ministry
of Health. The caseload will involve a combination of in-depth
support to selected OTs and broader-based support to the majority/ |
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To offer
practical support in the development of OT services when requested. |
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To provide
informal one to one training in professional skills as requested
by the OTs. |
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To offer
advice on aspects of management and administration. |
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To advise
OTs how to raise funds and resources for their work. |
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To look
into the options for continuing education for the Occupational
Therapists through the Uganda Association for Occupational Therapists
and other sources. |
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To be
an active member of Uganda Association for Occupational Therapists. |
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To work
with the Disability and Rehabilitation Section to integrate the
work of OTs in individual clinical settings with the government
service plan. |
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To be
actively involved in the planning and implementation of the Disability
and Rehabilitation Section's work plan. |
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In response
to requests to advise Ugandan organizations (government and non-government)
on the planning and implementation of OT services. |
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To promote
and develop links with government and non-government providers
of rehabilitation services at national and district level in order
to foster the growth of OT services in these settings. |
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To
investigate and set up links with officials of the Ministry of
Gender, the ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education
in order to promote the development of OT services within community
services, prisons and special education |
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Person Specification
Essential
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Qualified
Occupational Therapists with a minimum of five years' post-qualification
work experience, with a specialist knowledge in one or more of
the following areas: mental health, neurology, paediatrics or
Bobath. |
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Be confident
of your own OT skills |
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Experience
of training (for example facilitating workshops), of planning
and developing services and activities and of managing or supervising
other people. |
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Willing
to support colleagues in networking and promoting OT services,
be confident to take part in training and awareness sessions. |
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Committed
to the development of the OT profession. Must be willing to support
colleagues in networking and promoting OT services, be confident
to take part in training and awareness sessions. |
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Flexible
and adaptable in your approach. |
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Sensitive,
patient and culturally aware. Must demonstrate the capacity to
acclimatise to the local situation and local systems for doing
this. |
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Be
able to work independently with minimal support. |
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Be
willing to travel in Uganda by any means |
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Must
be willing to learn Kiswahili |
Desirable
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Fundraising
and proposal-writing skills |
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Current
driving license |
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Placement
Information
Working in a peripatetic role be a professional mentor by providing
a reference point for the locally trained Occupational Therapists
in agreed locations within Uganda.
The district support OT's
must be careful that they do not take on the responsibility of developing
the services themselves. The initiative for this must remain with
the Ministry of Health and the local OTs engaged in service-delivery.
The District Support Occupational
Therapists will assist in the development of the Occupational Therapy
profession and strengthen existing Community Rehabilitation structures.
Therapists have been qualifying from Uganda's school of occupational
therapists since 1997. The District Support Occupational Therapists
assist the recently qualified Occupational Therapists by providing
support to them in their places of work. The District Support Occupational
Therapists will also train the more experienced Ugandan therapists
to be able to support their more recently qualified colleagues. The
aim is to have 48 Ugandan trained Occupational Therapists using their
skills and knowledge throughout the Country's 34 health districts
by the year 2003. The students are highly motivated.
Other
Information
Accountability:
To the Head of the Disability and Rehabilitation Desk, Ministry
of Health, Kampala on a day-to-day basis.
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Skillshare International placements.
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