{"id":979,"date":"2019-11-06T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.samandmartha.com\/?p=979"},"modified":"2021-01-31T10:19:04","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T00:19:04","slug":"volunteering-with-speech-therapy-cambodia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.samandmartha.com\/volunteering-with-speech-therapy-cambodia\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteering with Speech Therapy Cambodia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When we first realised that we were actually going to do this trip I decided that I’d really like to visit some overseas Speech & Language Therapist (SLT) departments or volunteer my services somewhere along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t know me then my ‘day job’ is as an Adult SLT working with people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) and other progressive neurological conditions, as a clinical educator for SLT students and as Adult SLT Team Lead in my local hospital trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew it was important to think carefully about the reasons for volunteering, the impact and the sustainability of the volunteer person\/project. Will volunteering give me a warm glow but actually have little impact on the people for whom I’m volunteering? Will there be sustainability in my involvement that will lead to long term change well after I’ve finished? If not then really I shouldn’t do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had followed with interest on Twitter a Specialist SLT from Manchester who volunteered for an American Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working in Cambodia called Speech Therapy Cambodia<\/a> (STC). She and her colleagues had carried out some training there and the focus of the NGO’s work was adult dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) – just my area of expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I contacted STC, explained I was planning a trip and I would be in their area in about October or November 2019 and offered to do anything (within reason!) that would make an impact. I was really pleased that we were able to come up with a plan for a two week period involving giving lectures on ‘MND and Dysphagia’ as part of the hospital’s continuing professional development (CPD) and contributing to clinical education\/competency development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wrote my presentation whilst we were in Vancouver and Hong Kong, and skyped with Annie and Paula, the overseas SLTs employed by STC, for revisions to ensure it was pitched at the right level and culturally sensitive. I only did a four day week for the two weeks so I didn’t feel too guilty about leaving the kids and Mike to their own devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was really interesting to learn about the aims of the charity – to train Cambodian healthcare professionals (at present Doctors, Nurses and Physiotherapists) in dysphagia management at the three public hospitals in Phnom Penh, with the ultimate aims of developing a University level Speech & Language Therapy course in Cambodia to train local staff and to develop the job structures within the health system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shadowed Annie and Paula in the hospitals, observing supervision of their dysphagia practitioners, had many interesting discussions on the topics of clinical education and competencies, and presented on MND and Dysphagia management at all three hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n