SHE is warm, expressive and inviting with a bright smile and much enthusiasm.
Sitting on a small, wooden chair in the classroom of Rainbow Angels in Humansdorp, Eva Steen (40) talks about her life-long passion: being an avid advocate for learners with severe disabilities.
A career that happened by chance – teaching, directing programmes and being able to influence and mentor learners.
Even though it was never something she dreamt of doing.
Wearing a blue T-shirt and purple-framed glasses, she gives off an upbeat, confident air: “As a young health care student I built castles around a successful career at a day care centre.“But fate had other plans with me.”
When it came to her internship period, she was placed at a school with double disabled learners (mentally and physically) – her third choice.
Steen’s warm laughter fills the air: “Within days my heart was set on teaching and assisting children with special needs.”
After qualifying, she spent 12 months in 2009 at the Rainbow Centre in Humansdorp, after which she returned for four years to her home town in the Netherlands before returning to Humansdorp.
Rainbow Angels
Today, she runs a team of four inspirational practitioners at Rainbow Angels situated at the Shalom Centre in Kruisfontein.
The institute, a non-profit organisation headed under Victory4All and tailored to meet the needs of the children with appropriate furniture and equipment, is home to 13 less-privileged children with cerebral palsy – all between the ages of 6 and 16.
Along with her natural talent, Steen’s qualification and years of experience, allow her a unique perspective when tackling her daily role.
“It is our mission to bring education – however basic it might be – therapy and basic life skills to children with severe disabilities,” she says.
“In a cerebral palsy specific setting we are able to tailor the environment to include high levels of environmental and visual structure, so that the learners are able to access a range of play activities to support their engagement and progress in the areas identified in their individual education plans.”
The space allows for separate rooms for individual teaching/ intervention work, a play area, as well as an in-house sensory and soft play area.
It furthermore offers a shower room and outside space, which is an essential part of the curriculum.
Adding to learners’ progress are horse riding and swimming classes, as well as basic sport exercises and a physiotherapist once a month.
According to Steen, they spend a lot of time building strong relationships between the learners and staff members in order for the children to feel safe at school and able to trust the adults to support them to learn new skills and help them through difficult times.
Small victories
What is the best part about her calling?
Steen beams with pride: “It is truly satisfying to see them grow. Even if it is only to touch a soap bubble floating in the air or to move a wooden block with their hands.
“Often in the beginning, they struggle terribly, and then we get to work. They work hard, harder than most students, and they accomplish so much.
“I learn from the children every day. They teach me true diversity and understanding.”
What it takes to succeed
When asked what does it take to succeed as a special needs teacher, Steen smiles, “It is not always easy to understand children with disabilities, and it is even more difficult to know what a child with cerebral palsy needs or wants due to the often severe deficit in communication.
“The minority of learners at Rainbow Angels can effectively communicate verbally; we thus mainly use hand gestures and pictogrammes to communicate.”
She continues that a great deal of patience and perseverance, as well as a true passion, is necessary to be successful.
“Add to that a keen ability to observe and analyse behaviours, as well as determination. If at first you do not succeed, try and try again. And again . . .
“However challenging, working with special-needs individuals is one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable.”
Future dreams
Her dreams for the future?
To be able to accommodate more learners at the school and to construct an on-site swimming pool.
“But for this, we require much-needed funds,” says Steen whose career goal is to make a difference in the lives of as many children with disabilities as she can.
Something she is already doing.
- Rainbow Angels: The institute caters for learners – from ages five to 18 – with cerebral palsy and associated difficulties from 08:00 to 13:00 from Mondays to Fridays and provide learners with two meals a day.
- Victory4All: Victory4All runs different projects which offer less-fortunate children education of high standard and loving care: Rainbow Angels, Rainbow Centre, Noah’s Ark, King’s College, Rainbow Skills Centre, Stroopwafel Baker and foster homes.
- Contact: Victory4All founder and general manager Johan Vos at 082 821 4291 or send an email to johan@victory4all.com.
Visit www.victory4all.com.
