greetings from wfot

Hi Laura
Wow the blog you set up for out network has really grown - what an amazing effort!
As WFOT Ambassador to the Egypt Project I'd like to acknowledge the WFOT role in supporting the development of occupational therapy in Egypt. What many reading this blog for the first time may not know is that Christiane Mentrupp got the current momentum started with a visit and needs analysis in Cairo in January 2005.
This is when many Egyptian organisations and individuals voiced the need for occupational therapy here and especially the need for training Egyptian people to be occupational therapists. It also started the Committee for the Development of Occupational Therapy in Egypt (CDOT) network and the e-newsletter that Christiane publishes regularly with our contributions.
Collaboration gives amazing outcomes!
Mid-way through 2005 and into 2006 I began working with two universities to write ot curriculum and with support from my then employer (the University of South Australia) was able to come and run short courses about occupation.
A lot of work went into promoting the curricula on the part of our Egyptian colleagues and as you know we have heard that the Minister for Higher Education, His Excellency Dr Hany Helal, passed the graduate entry program this week after a lengthy and rigorous committee process.
And finally there are currently 8 ots - all non-Egyptians at this stage - that we know about working and living in Egypt and many exciting developments including our embryo occupational therapy network.
Laura thanks again for this amazing blog - and for inviting us to participate. Truly your tech skills are amazing!
I hope that people who have questions will continue to ask them either to you or to me directly (sue.hartshorne@gmail.com ) or to one of the others to find out about what its like to live and work here in Egypt.
Hugs as always
Sue

Susan Hartshorne
WFOT Ambassador to the Egypt Project
World Federation of Occupational Therapists