The Adventures of OT

On this latest podcast episode I had the honor of interviewing Siyanda Kobokana who shares his inspiring journey of resilience and overcoming adversity. In this raw and candid interview, Siyanda opens up about his difficult childhood upbringing, struggles with substance use and abuse, and the journey towards recovery. He courageously shares his challenges faced in rehab, shedding light on what worked and what didn't in his path to healing. Siyanda also delves into the importance of self-love and spirituality in his journey, emphasizing the transformative power of learning to love oneself and finding solace in faith. Finally, he shares insights from his studies, revealing how it opened doors to travel and learn more about himself and the world. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation that's sure to inspire and empower! You can follow him on Instagram: Siyanda Kobokana & TikTok: Mr Contagious Smile & you can find his research on ResearchGate and search for his name.

On today’s podcast we have Lusanda Lupindo a Health & Safety Officer by profession and YouTuber. Lusanda unpacks life after being diagnosed with HIV in her early twenties while in varsity. She delves into the stages of grief, most importantly the stage of anger and finally takes us through the process of forgiveness and acceptance of her status. Lusanda, further highlights the importance of taking care of your health and encourages everyone to have the courage to get tested & know their status. Her life motto is: “Live Life to the fullest, life is too short.” Let’s continue being mindful of the conversations, words and phrases we use and continue to break the stigma around HIV. If you would like to follow her journey, or reach out to her for collaborations please contact her on: Instagram: Lussy_Lupindo & YouTube: Lussy Lupindo. SADAG Support: Depression, Anxiety & PTSD: 078 284 5939(Janine) HIV/AIDS support group: 076 156 1876/076 701 0005 (Louise)

On today’s episode we have Atsho-Abonga Mteto a fitness instructor, massage therapist and personal trainer. Atsho & I unpack how he has been experiencing life after sustaining a traumatic brain injury, where he also presented with: a hangman’s fracture, subarachnoid bleed, cranial fracture and a C5 & C6 tear. He unpacks the stages of grief he experienced after waking up from a coma & realising his inability to engage in his basic activities of daily living such as bathing himself independently. Atsho further highlights how the support of his family and friends helped him during his rehabilitation period. The greatest lesson he has learnt from sustaining a TBI is that LIFE IS TOO SHORT. BE KINDER TO YOURSELF. If you’d like to follow Atsho or you’re in need of a personal trainer please follow him on Instagram: atsho.abonga_mteto

On today’s episode we have a guest very close to my heart. Anelisa Baliso was my mentor in my first year of varsity, in her teachings she always emphasised staying in your lane and not going with the crowd- I still live by those words today. On this episode Anelisa & I discuss how she broke her leg which later resulted in her having a bowleg as a result of her bone not healing properly. She further discusses the impact that the bowleg had on her mental health, self-esteem and her engagement in occupations. She further emphasizes masking her emotions throughout her childhood. While in her varsity year a doctor spotted her while performing & little did she know that by performing on stage that night would later change her life completely. Anelisa is a professional Social Worker and is an upcoming artist, please do follow her on her social media page, Instagram: Anelisa LeeAnsa Baliso.

On this week’s podcast we have Saajidah Patel a phenomenal lady who shares her experience of living with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). This is a genetic disorder in which white blood cells are unable to kill (fight) certain types of bacteria. Saajidah speaks about spending majority of her childhood in hospital and how this influenced her ability to maintain friendships. She also speaks to the difficulties of finding employment due to her diagnosis as she can be admitted for 3-months at a time (if not longer) within a space of one year. We also speak to the difficulties she experienced during COVID-19 & being hospitalised for several months and the countless times she’s almost faced death. Saajidah spreads some positivity & light where she highlights the importance of being intentional with your relationships because you never know when your last day is. Please do subscribe to her YouTube channel: Saajie Vlogs

On today’s podcast we have Yolanda Januarie a professional occupational therapist who’s taken the leap and has moved to Australia for work. Yolanda takes us through every step she followed while applying for work in Australia and isn’t shy to share how much the whole process cost her. Yolanda & I discuss why she chose to leave South Africa & why she doesn’t see a future for herself working back in South Africa. If you would like to contact her for more questions you may contact her on LinkedIn: Yolanda Januarie.

On today’s podcast we have Zeke Johannes an occupational therapy student who speaks on the Erik Erickson stage of Identity vs Role Confusion. Erik Erickson posits that people go through a series of stages and everyone faces developmental conflict that needs to be resolved successfully. This process is noted to be vital as it facilitates a strong identity in an individual. Zeke & I unpack his occupational potential & occupational choice as a young coloured male who grew up in a gang ridden, small community in Cape Town. Occupational Choice, may not only be impacted by social/occupational injustices but also by entrenched mindsets with limiting views for what is possible, (Galvaan, in Rudman, 2015).

On today’s podcast we have Bridgette Nicholson a seasoned Occupational Therapist with over 34 years experience in the field. Bridgette has worked in providing support & training to school districts and organizations. She presents interactive science-based workshops to teachers, parents & caregivers these workshops work to address a child’s learning ability through play with the use of technological assistive devices. Please do check out her website for more details: bodybraintech.com

On today’s podcast we have Ike Ntanzi, a YouTuber, an author an influencer better known as #TheThreadist and an Audiologist. Ike takes us through his childhood and elaborates on how his upbringing has influenced the health professional he is today. He then tells all about his latest book and why you should purchase it- titled Umthakathi the Witch. His latest book release covers controversial topics that will have you as the reader intrigued from the word go. Finally, Ike unpacks how a young boy from a rural area in SA came to learn about Audiology & further unpacks his roles and responsibilities as an Industrial Audiologist working at a private mine. He further elaborates the work he does as a Home Interventionist under an organization at WITS University known as- High Hopes NGO. Please do contact his team if you’d like to purchase his latest book: ikentanzibooks@gmail.com

On this weeks’ podcast the host speaks to Astrid a qualified occupational therapist who completed her community service year in 2020. Astrid’s journey with occupational therapy has indeed been an adventure and she takes us through all the difficulties she experienced throughout her varsity career. With that being said Astrid graduated in record time regardless of all the hurdles she had to jump over. The host and Astrid further speak to community service & the costs involved to move to possibly a different province. Finally, Astrid speaks to still being unemployed 5-months post community service and how this has impacted her health & well-being as well as her engagement in other occupations.

On today’s podcast I speak to Beauty Ngcobo a qualified Occupational Therapist who is a part of the Uhambo Foundation a foundation under Shonaquip. Shonaquip is a company which provides wheelchair related services & support to clients, families, caregivers & professionals across South Africa. Beauty, speaks about some of the challenges that persons living with a disability experience, she further delves into the social injustices which further perpetuate the stigma & barriers experienced by persons living with a disability.

Hi there, on this weeks’ podcast, KC-Fords speaks to Lesego Mashishi the director at Limitless Occupational Therapy Services which is a company that provides medico-legal assessments, functional capacity evaluations, employee wellness & implementation of employee assistance programs, disability management & audits as well as Occupational Health Risk Solutions. Additionally, Lesego speaks about her role on the OTASA board as the Vice-President & the benefits of being an OTASA member.

Bernike grew up in the Transkei a rural area within the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Having grown up in this environment it enabled her to learn one of the many spoken languages in South Africa-isiXhosa. Bernike & I therefore speak to the barriers language poses for a client to express themselves to a health professional and how this impacts the clients treatment. She further speaks to her experiences of working in the UK as as well in SA and the adaptations one needs to put in place as an OT working in these two- different settings. Finally, Bernike speaks about her role as an Occupational Therapist within a pre-school setting.

On today’s podcast, I am in the hot seat & my friends and I engage around the topic of how the podcast came into inception. We further delve into the challenges I experienced within my studies and university career. I really do hope you enjoy!

On this week’s podcast we have 3-final year Occupational Therapy students speak to us about the importance of an occupational therapist within community development. Bianca Applegreen, Odell Chetty & Sibusiso Khumalo discuss the contribution they made as OT students within the community of Marrianridge. A community which was established within the Apartheid era due to racial segregation. This community & it’s members experience a number of social injustices & inequalities further more the key challenge faced in this community is the continued cycle of poverty.

On this week’s podcast we have the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal’s OT telehealth clinic team on the show. On this episode we discuss the issues faced within our South African context relating to health & how feasible it is to have telehealth services in our South African context. The UKZN team further discuss how they incorporated activities on these online sessions and how this challenged them to think outside of the box. Finally, they discuss how they ensured the sessions were confidential and how they ensured the fundamental rights of clients were respected.

On this week’s podcast we have Asisipho Tsotsa a qualified OT working in a psychiatric hospital. She is a youth empowerment activist driven by the need to contribute to social justice. She was awarded the BEST delegate at Model United Nations ||| in 2019 where she represented SA. In this episode she shares about the different media platforms that she uses to advocate for Occupational Therapy & speaks to us about her NPO, 21 daughters & sons of the King which seeks to harness the skills of young people. I further ask Tsotsa whether or not there are OT job posts & finally we speak to mental health and black parents’ perspective on mental health.

On today’s episode we take a different approach and we find out how our listeners are feeling. With social media being a buzz and everyone sharing their achievements it’s easy to compare yourself to others. It is also easy for you to feel as though u don’t belong in certain positions. So today’s show our listeners share how feeling like an imposter has influenced their abilities to either go for the opportunity or not because they had feelings of anxiety & feelings of not belonging in certain spaces. Have you ever felt this way? Tag us on social media & drop us a comment we’d love to hear your views.

On this week’s podcast we have Zenande Ncetani. Zenande is a fourth year Occupational Therapy student studying at the University of the Western Cape. She is an executive member of the OTASA-S committee and is the ethics committee representative. Zenande shares with us how she had to deal with her emotions after realizing that she had to repeat a year and how this impacted her future goals. She also delves into how she was able to see the light even in the midst of this storm. She further elaborates on how she doesn’t allow what society & social media portray to place pressure on her. Finally, Zenande expresses the importance of building relations in University and she explains what her role is in the OTASA-S executive committee.