Funding to support development of hand therapy

The IFSHT council at the 2001 Triennial Congress in Istanbul, approved funding to support therapists involved in a hand therapy project in an underdeveloped country. This initiative promotes the development of hand therapy worldwide and ensures better quality rehabilitation for those persons receiving hand therapy.

During 2008, two projects were partially funded by the IFSHT. Hovic Piranyan, PT and OT, from Armenia was partially supported to travel to France for an educational visit to a hand therapy center. The second project was partial funding of a week-long course held by Maggi Persson a Hand and Occupational Therapist from Sweden in Chisinau, Moldova. This course focused on training 20 therapists and physicians to evaluate and treat children with upper limb functional problems. The long term goal of this training was to stimulate cross-training of colleagues.

In 2009, Gretchen Kaiser a Hand Therapist from the United States traveled to Peru and taught a hand therapy course for occupational and physical therapists interested in this specialty practice area. Nelly Salas a Peruvian Therapist, active in promoting the development of Hand Therapy in Peru, facilitated the organization of this course.

If you are involved in a project in an underdeveloped country or are planning on volunteering to be involved in hand therapy education in a developing hand therapy region, please contact the secretary general for further information: secretarygeneral@ifsht.org. Further information can also be found in the guidelines / application form.  Funding is limited and in most cases only partial funding may be available. 

If you wish to donate to this award please contact the IFSHT treasurer (treasurer@ifsht.org) for further details on how to donate by bank check or wire transfer.  Also, a PayPal donation option is available. 

Many thanks for your support!