Background to the Project

I was born and grew up in Zimbabwe.  After qualifying as a speech and hearing therapist from the University of Cape Town in 1987, I returned to Zimbabwe to work.  In 1990, and in my last year of work in the country, I joined School Psychological Services (SPS), Harare Region, Ministry of Education.  Part of my work in that year involved the training of Harare region teachers who were to be the identified ‘speech teacher’ for their school - the teacher that would hold a specific role in relation to children with speech, language and communication difficulties (SLCDs). 

I trained many teachers and even had the opportunity to support some of them on-site.  Together we reviewed the children the speech teachers had identified, on the basis of the training that had been delivered, as requiring extra support due to speech, language and/or communication difficulties. 

I re-trained in 2009-2010, doing an MSc in Global Health and Development, with a view to becoming involved in aid work and to potentially making a return to Africa with an understanding and knowledge that I did not previously have.  At the end of the degree, with a wonderful and interesting learning experience and year behind me, the international aid sector did not hold the appeal that I thought it would.  I then moved to Australia.

Over the past year, I have thought about my heart’s desire and what makes my heart sing.  With this reflection, my dream and wish to make some meaningful contribution in developing countries, in Africa, and Zimbabwe specifically, has grown.  Fortunately, for me, there are meaningful opportunities out there.