UCT students strive for change

Advocacy: Meghan Dawson at the occupational therapy exhibition in Canal Walk.

UCT's occupational therapy lecturer Roshan Galvaan and fourth-year students staged an exhibition in Canal Walk to showcase their work in disadvantaged communities, and to draw the attention of the public to the realities of life in the communities.

The exhibition was prompted by the poor understanding many people have of occupational therapy, and by the fact that some people turn a blind eye to the hardships experienced by the poor.

Meghan Dawson, one of the students behind the show, said: "We want to advocate for occupational therapy and raise awareness about the reality - and hope - of life in poor areas."

The exhibition includes a DVD of a group of young girls from Lavender Hill who invented a board game about energy conservation. The game won the Eskom ETA Award, an annual competition to promote energy efficiency, and the group will represent South Africa at an international event in Sweden.