Norah Riddick – Physiotherapist in Bougainville

Norah was living in Whakatane and working as a self-employed physiotherapist within a rehabilitation business before she took up her VSA assignment.

What Norah is doing in Bougainville

Norah is working with Callan Services, an organisation that provides inclusive education and community based rehabilitation (CBR) for disabled people. She works with individual clients, especially children, and the staff member responsible for them on physical rehabilitation. Norah mentors and reviews the staff member and the interventions that are in place for each client.

In addition, Norah is also helping the organisation review and update its education presentations to both the public and teachers.

Making a positive impact

Norah was pleased to be able to help staff redefine what work could be done when funding constraints meant the team was restricted to visiting villages within a day’s travel of Arawa.

The upside of the restricted travel allowed staff to see people more frequently which has been really beneficial. She feels the organisation is now able to provide a much higher quality of work, although in a smaller geographical area. She says that there have been some difficult cases but staff are now able to see the result of consistent contact, which they would not have realised had they continued working in the same way.

Norah’s highlights so far

 “I really like reviewing and monitoring staff and working with them to improve their knowledge about why things happen the way they do. It is fantastic watching them ‘get it’.”

 “There is one little boy here who I feel was heading for a lifetime of major disability or underachievement and my intervention turned his life around. I feel that this one thing alone has made my assignment worthwhile.”

What Bougainville has taught Norah

“I now know how to relax.”

“What is important in life – people not things. You really can manage fine without so many of the things we consider essential like constant power, oh and cheese!”

“How important strong extended family and village ties and support systems are. This is essential to happiness here.”