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The World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) has encouraged the development of regional groups in the demarcated WHO areas of the world. To date there is COTEC (Western Europe), the Asia-Pacific Group, South America and Occupational Therapy Africa Regional Group (OTARG).
The concept of starting the group was conceived in 1995 but did not get off the ground.
In 1996 the idea was again revived at the WFOT Council Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. Delegates from Tanzania attended the meeting as observers to help promote the idea and the task was given to Rosemary Crouch, delegate from OTASA, South Africa, to convene the first meeting in South Africa later in the year.
The objectives of WFOT in developing this regional group were to:
- develop the services of occupational therapy in sub-Sahara Africa.
- encourage membership of African countries with WFOT.
- support the existing occupational therapy training centres in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa and assist in the emerging training in Tanzania and Mauritius.
- promote the development of training in more countries in Africa and keep the standards of occupational therapy training in line with the WFOT Minimum Standards of Training
10,000 US$ was provided by WFOT for delegates from 9 countries to convene in Durban in August 1996, and at the same time to attend the OTASA National Congress.
Delegates form Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe attended the inaugural meeting of OTARG. Justine Nanyonjo from Uganda was elected Chairperson; Jacqueline Laurent from Mauritius was Vice Chairperson, James Botela from Kenya as secretary and Rosemary Crouch and Ann Nott from South Africa as joint treasurers. Anticipated new members of OTARG were Nigeria, Namibia, Swaziland, Seychelles, Lesotho, Mali, Ethiopia, Zambia and Malawi.
It was decided at the meeting to launch an OTARG Newsletter and Judith van der Veen from Tanzania undertook this task. It was also decided to plan the first OTARG Congress in Mauritius in 1999. Jacqueline Laurent (Mauritius) and Rosemary Crouch (South Africa) were appointed as Congress organisers. It was also asked that delegates consider the development of a logo for OTARG.
After the meeting in Durban, the OTARG delegates were taken on a tour of the Limpopo province by Marjorie Concha, previous OTASA delegate to WFOT, to visit the CBR Project at Acornhoek.
In the interim period before the first Congress, the development of the training of occupational therapists at Tumaini University at KCMC Moshi in Tanzania went ahead. In January 1997, occupational therapists involved in training, and Rosemary Crouch, now Chairperson of the WFOT Education Committee, was invited to Moshi in Tanzania by the DSE (German Foundation for International Development, promoters of education in Africa). The purpose was to develop a curriculum for occupational therapy training at KCMC (Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College) in Moshi and to meet with the Minister of Education.
During a social evening at this event, TOTA (The Tanzanian Occupational Therapy Association) was born. It was officially agreed to by the Tanzanian Government in 2000.
The training of occupational therapists in Tanzania started in October 1998 with Charles Bulinda Lirhunde from Kenya as HOD and pioneering occupational therapists in the country, namely Herma Grossman and Judith van der Veen, as lecturers. The first occupational therapists graduated in July 2001.
A visit by WFOT to the Ugandan Occupational Therapy training at Mulago Hospital in Kampala took place after the Council meeting in 1996 and the curriculum for training was discussed. The curricula for Uganda and Tanzania were both approved by WFOT in Ottawa 1998 and both countries became full members of WFOT. OTARG delegates take the opportunity to meet at every opportunity and a meeting of OTARG was held during this time.
The Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania curricula had long since been approved and these countries had been full members of WFOT for many years.
The first OTARG International Congress took place at Grand Bay in Mauritius in July 1999. The theme was “ The 2000 challenge. OT in Africa.” It was a very colourful affair and attended by 1001 delegates from all over the world and Africa. WFOT was generous in lending “start-up” money to convene the congress and every penny was repaid afterwards! It was a great success.
The second official meeting of OTARG took place during this time and a constitution was discussed and planned. The committee was returned with the same executive for the ensuing two years leading to the second Congress in Uganda in 2001. Judith van der Veen for Tanzania took on the task of the OTARG Newsletter. It was decided to hold congresses every two years.
The OTARG logo designed by Liza Davis, Rosemary Crouch’s daughter, was adopted.
WFOT decided to hold its interim Council meeting before the Congress at the same venue. One of the purposes for this was that negotiations could be made between WFOT and the Mauritius Government in terms of starting occupational therapy training on the island. Pioneer occupational therapist, Jacqueline Laurent, had established the profession in Mauritius and had been very active in promoting the training. Carolyn Webster, WFOT Chairperson, and Rosemary Crouch, now Vice President of WFOT, met with the Ministers and were interviewed on television. The training was agreed to.
In 2002 the curriculum for training occupational therapists was approved by WFOT and Mauritius became a full member of WFOT.
The training of occupational therapists at the University of Mauritius in Reduit, started in 2003. Imme Shipham from South Africa was appointed HOD and Jacqueline Laurent as one of the lecturers. The first occupational therapists graduated in 2007.
The OTARG delegates met informally at a meeting during the WFOT Council meeting in Sapporo in Japan in 2000 and discussed the development of the new constitution and Samantha Shann from Uganda took on the task of compiling it.
The 2nd International OTARG Congress was held in Kampala in Uganda in July 2001. The theme was “The way forward, OT in Africa.” Samantha Shann and Rosemary Crouch were the Congress Convenors. The standard of presentations had improved greatly and again it was a happy and colourful affair. Approximately 100 delegates attended from all over the world, but mostly from Africa. Students from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa also attended the Congress. The costs of the Congress were again fully covered and a small profit made.
At the OTARG meeting a new executive was elected. Dan Ndiga from Kenya was elected Chairman, Jacqueline Laurent from Mauritius as Vice Chairman, Daniel Kariuki from Kenya as Secretary and the Treasurer, Theresa Lorenzo from South Africa. The new constitution, developed by Samantha Shann from Uganda, was presented in a draft form for comment. It was decided that the 3rd OTARG Congress would be held in Mombassa, Kenya in August 2003.
The interim period was fairly uneventful. Namibia worked hard on the development of its training programme in Windhoek and the Mauritius training started. The OTARG delegates met in Mariefeld, Sweden during the WFOT Council Meeting before attending the WFOT World Congress in Stockholm.
The 3rd OTARG International Congress took place on the island of Mombassa in August 2003. The theme was “Grassroots contribution to OT in Africa.”
It was a fairly dangerous time in Mombassa as there had been a major bomb explosion near the Congress venue, a while before the congress took place. During the congress delegates were evacuated with another bomb scare. The attendance was therefore not as good as anticipated but the Congress itself was very successful. The costs were again covered and a comfortable profit made. It was again a colourful affair and the delegates mingled with the leaping Masai warriors during the social events.
OTARG met again and a change was made to some of the executive positions. Dan Ndiga (Kenya) was returned as Chairman, Omolade Coker (Nigeria) voted in as Vice Chairman, Rachel Kasiime (Uganda) as Secretary, Christa Meyer (Tanzania) as Treasurer, Stefanie a Tanzanian student, as Student Representative and Rosemary Crouch took over the Newsletter.
The Constitution was approved during the meeting and the next Congress was planned for Moshi, Tanzania in 2005. Christa Meyer from Tanzania was appointed as Congress Convenor.
The Tanzanian occupational therapists worked hard to bring about the 4th OT ARG Congress in Moshi in August 2005. The profit made from the Mombassa Congress mysteriously disappeared and they had to work from scratch! A generous donation from the British Association of Occupational Therapists saved the day. (The OTARG funds did reappear two years later!). The theme of the Congress was “OT in Africa – in search for identity.”
The Congress was very well attended with more than 100 delegates from 13 countries all over the world, eager to catch a glimpse of Kilimanjaro. It reluctantly did show its beautiful head only once during the congress! The standard of papers and the evidence of good research being done, made this again a wonderful congress. The costs were again covered and many delegates set off to the nearby Serengeti and other beautiful game parks before and after the Congress. Many students again attended the Congress.
OTARG met during the Congress. WFOT sent Sharon Brintnell, the WFOT Treasurer, to preside over the meeting because of the disappearance of the funds. She offered great support and ran an excellent meeting. The executive was re-elected with Alfred Ramukumba from South Africa as Chairman, Dani Swai from Tanzania as Vice Chairman, Rachel Kasiime-Kanyangabo from Uganda as Secretary, Christa Meyer from Tanzania as Treasurer, Julian Kamwesiga from Uganda as the WFOT representative, Albert Chake from Tanzania as Student Representative and Rosemary Crouch from South Africa as Newsletter Editor. The meetings were now held strictly according to the Constitution. It was decided to hold the next OTARG Congress in Zanzibar and Mohammed Sharif was appointed convenor with help from the Tanzanian OTs.
The 5th International OTARG Congress was held on the island of Zanzibar in September 2007. The theme of the Congress was “Occupation and culture: Affirming Diversity in Occupational Therapy.” The highest number of delegates ever, attended the Congress. There were 120 delegates from 15 countries. The scientific programme was excellent and really good research was presented. Jennifer Creek from the UK convened a meeting to develop an OTARG, Occupational Therapy in Africa book.
Delegates went sailing on dhows, snorkelled from the nearby islands and soaked up the tropical atmosphere.
OTARG met and Alfred Ramukumba from South Africa was returned as Chairman, Brenda Emanuel from Tanzania as Vice Chairman, Liza Wegner from South Africa as Secretary, Christa Meyer as Treasurer, Julius Kameswiga as WFOT Representative and Rosemary Crouch as newsletter Editor. A Student Representative was appointed from Tanzania.
The 6th International OTARG Congress was held in Mangochi Malawi in September 2009. The theme was "Building bridges within and beyond Africa"
The Congress focused on the development of Occupational Therapy and
Rehabilitation within the African continent and beyond. It included the following themes:
- Building Bridges through Education
- Building Bridges through Practice – Within Africa
-Beyond Africa
- Building Bridges through Research
- Building Bridges to the Future
Rosemary B Crouch
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