VLEIFONTEIN - Three third-level students and a social worker from Hogeschool in Gent, Belgium, are at present doing their academic practical work at the Nyandano Multi-Purpose Centre in Vleifontein.

The three social work students, Evy van de Vannet, Saartje van Rossom and Annelies Bernaerts, and a social worker, Heidi Willaert, were officially welcomed at the centre, which caters for people with disabilities, at the Vleifontein Community Hall. The Belgians will be based at the centre in Vleifontein, from January to March 2004, where they will be doing their practicals.

During an interview with Mirror, Willaert said that students doing social work studies are expected to do their academic practical work on various continents during their last year at the institution. "When the trio chose to do their training in South Africa, I decided to join them, as I once worked in the Eastern Cape," she said. She added that while they would be doing their practicals, they would also be sharing their skills with the Nyandano Centre.

On behalf of the Makhado Municipality, Mr MP Baloyi, an LED Officer, said that the Municipality supported the idea of integrated developmental changes, especially in the remote areas. He commended the visitors for choosing Nyandano as a place where they could do their training, adding that most people from Europe prefer to visit institutions in big cities and towns.

According to the co-ordinator of the centre, Mrs Maria Makhado, the initiative to get students from Europe to the centre started during the training in handling and caring for people with disabilities, facilitated by the Provincial Department of Health and Welfare, and Mr Johan Tupperman from the disability centre in Belgium.

"After the training, Mr Tupperman visited the centre to assess if we had implemented what he had taught us at the training sessions. He was so delighted to find that the centre had implemented the caring and handling of people with disabilities, that he told me that he would like to see learners from his country coming to the centre to do their practicals," she said.

As the centre does not have a syllabus, the Belgians will embark on a daily activity programme, a personal plan of the support method of learning, while doing their practicals. During their welcoming ceremony, it was announced that they would also visit other centres that cater for people living with disabilities within the Vhembe district.