Are you or your organization interested in supporting the physical health challenges of your communities?
With 78% of rural communities experiencing low back pain on a weekly basis, 74% of hospital out-patient departments coping with these patients, and the average rural dweller spending eight or more hours a day in physical labor, the need could not be greater.
I am available to consult on your projects from a medical, social, and cultural perspective. Consultations are informed by my ten years of experience living within Sub-Sahara Africa supporting rural communities, with 5 years specifically dedicated to supporting physical health.
Foundation of Knowledge
My passion for this work is supported by my background as a Registered Massage Therapist where I gained a depth of knowledge in anatomy, kinesiology and home rehabilitation, followed by eight years working in rehabilitation clinics. Since moving to Sub-Saharan Africa, most of my time has been spent living in various rural settings learning directly from the communities by developing discussion forums and asking questions in homes, hospitals, with individuals and in groups. I have spent my time developing target groups to observe daily activities. This allowed for the identifying of the key areas of pain, assessing patterns of movement, and engage in each individual’s challenges and strengths.
These years of intentional living in rural communities combined with my education in massage therapy and rehabilitative exercise provides me with an unparalleled hands-on understanding of the lives of those I desire to see enhanced. Through consultation with a group of physiotherapists and kinesiologists from my home community in Canada, I then established the HiM prevention model which is now actively and positively functioning in our communities.
What is offered
HiM offers consulting for rural settings across Africa. This includes a community assessment of physical health strengths and limitations, cultural approaches towards recommended concepts, and community engagement to change based on social behaviors. A program individually tailored to your community or organization’s interest will be designed. This could be either the preventative injury training or the home rehabilitation training for the aging population.
Both programs will provide an initial assessment period of your cultural setting to inform a personalized approach , and both are developed to be taught and implemented directly at the community level. Other areas of physical mobility and rehabilitation training or support may be assessed and discussed on an individual organization/community needs basis.
- Expertise in rural Sub-Sahara African culture, beliefs, and social structures
- Tailored advice and solutions based on detailed analysis
- Prioritized interest and advancement of the well-being of the community
- Respect of cultural traditions
- Approaches sustainable at a local level
- A training guide in rural ergonomics and exercise rehabilitation strategies for field facilitators and partners
Contact Us
For more information or to discuss your organization’s training and consulting needs, please contact us.