Queen of Cardboard

Eberechukwu, her name means "Mercy of God", is a little girl I met recently in Lagos Nigeria. She is over a year old and has not been able to sit up for more than a few minutes. When she was seated in this cardboard corner seat I made especially for her though, she sat happily and played for over an hour! Her mom is very happy to see her daughter sitting so beautifully. All it takes is a little cardboard, and "Queen of Cardboard" know-how.

Benneth Edeh, who's plea to help him become a "better OT", was the main reason I travelled to Nigeria to present an APT workshop, learned the basics via the internet using a kit with cardboard pieces I sent to him. The package took many months to arrive, and once it did the contents were not easy to figure out without a direct demonstration. He and I persevered, however, and he managed to construct this stool with only my electronic guidance. A first in "distance education" skill building!

If you want to build with cardboard, you have to make laminated boards for building and press them flat and dry them thoroughly before you begin cutting out the pieces.

A group of 19 people, from many areas of Nigeria, mostly with training in Occupational Therapy or other medical areas, including a prince and a chief, got together for a two week workshop in APT. They learned the basics of transforming cardboard, paper, and "throw-away" items, into durable, useful, and attractive furniture and rehab equipment.

Charles, Dawodu, and Tayo attended this APT Workshop that I presented in August/06 at the Federal School of Occupational Therapy (Psychiatric Hospital Yaba Lagos) and learned how to make corner seats and other needed equipment for children with disabilities in Nigeria.

Dawodu's first project was a paper hat from old newspapers. He used newspaper pictures and advertisements very creatively to decorate it.

Both Inside:

and Out.

Tayo transformed a plastic water bottle into a beautiful vase:

Chief Joe E. Nwegwu discovered new aspects of his creativity using old newspapers to make a new hat (he completed his Occupational Therapy training in Great Britain and is one of the instructors in the Federal School of Occupational Therapy).

Prince Mathias Ugiagbe Okoro is an Occupational Therapist in the Psychiatric Hospital-Uselu, Benin City.

Adeola works as a nurse in the Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba Lagos. She learned new skills she plans to use in her work, and at the same time she said that she developed both her patience and creativity through APT.

Workshop participants took time away from their APT projects to eat the excellent food provided by the hospital kitchen. But as you can see, their projects were always close at hand.