Marieke de Wit
Dutch physical therapist since yr 2000
Motivation,
I have received many impressions during my roundtrip in the year 2000 to
Thailand, Nepal, Malaysia and Indonesia. I have seen, smelled but also
felt there how it is to be in an underdeveloped country. Among the
population I have seen a sense of solidarity and care for the family but
also extreme poverty.
Due to the impressions of this journey, my desire has grown to use and
transfer my knowledge to the local people, that need help very badly but
do not have the means to receive any. After my travels I continued
giving physiotherapy in a private practice on the canals of Amsterdam. I
have been working with people of all ages. Furthermore, I gave dancing
lessons to children and medical fitness to young and old people.
In 2002 I have signed up for Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO). VSO is an
organisation that forms and supervises people that are sent to an
underdeveloped country, for a period of two years, to transfer their
knowledge to the local people and in this way help in the development of
this country. In this organisation, I followed several courses that have
prepared me for working in an underdeveloped country. Before being
posted abroad by VSO, I went on holiday in the summer of 2002. I went
back to Indonesia, to Bali. During my holiday I have done some research
in the health care sector.
What is very clear; there is hardly any attention for handicapped
children in Bali. There is no help and no understanding. After this trip
I have started changing my mind. Do I want to work for VSO? Or am I
going to set something up myself and help the children on Bali that
really need my help. In the summer of 2003 I left to Bali for three
months. I lived there with a Balinese family. In the beginning I had to
get used to the temperature and culture of the island and to the habits
of a Balinese family. Pretty soon I was able to get myself understood in
Indonesian and even in Balinese. This way you get even closer to the
people. After three weeks I started treating some children. I went to
the homes of the children. The treatment consisted of mostly a very
intense training for the children and giving the family of the child a
lot of information so that everyone could help with the development of
this child. It is incredible to see and to feel how extremely grateful
these people are. Their children are not dumb or bad! They can do a lot
more than they have ever imagined. The tears of joy and the smiles of
happiness that I experienced, stole my heart! I will be back to help
these children and many more!
Therefore I have founded High 5 Rehab and I hope to have your support
for this foundation. My goal is to give the children in Bali a more
mobile and better life!
Marieke de Wit
Founder of Foundation High 5 Rehab and Revalidation Centre High 5 Rehab
"SO" Lovina, Bali, Indonesia
Komang Ardika (Komo)
is my husband since august 2004, also manager from the foundation
Iluh Sterre de Wit
is our daughter, born december 2005