Building a Team, Step by Step

Susan Pompa, Assistive Technology Associate Director of LINC, offers her perspective as a new CITTI Project team member.

We came with our bags packed from 7 different states, many walks of life, and many histories. Between the neatly folded t-shirts and bars of dark chocolate in our suitcases, our questions were scattered about, with the hopes of being answered soon. On our backs, under our securely-packed back along with our highly- guarded passports and carefully-measured liquids (3 oz. only, thank you) we brought along our skills, each as different as the snapshots our passports encased.

The last of us arrived late Saturday night where we were met by a driver holding a sign with our names, amid a bustling Quito airport crowd. Trust was surely in the air at that moment. Through the dark streets to the nameless hotel, the driver let out his two passengers where they were eagerly met by cheerful smiles and giggles coming from behind the hotel room door. Okay, here we are, now what´s the plan? You´ll know more in the morning, see you at 8 for breakfast. Buenos Noches!
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Sunday morning breakfast gathered the group together to share eggs, jugo de papaya, talks of flights and arrivals, side trips and mountain climbs. There were introductions and reunions. Shortly after, we boarded our van, all united under one roof, heading to Ambato. Two vehicles followed behind us filled with our baggage, our bag of tricks, equipment, photography paraphernalia, and lots of tissue (thanks to the thoughtful warnings we repeatedly received from our leaders who´ve come before us.)

Three hours to Ambato. A backdrop of vivacious and majestic volcanoes set the stage, as we laughed and talked and exchanged our thoughts , feelings and experiences. This was an important time-share for this captive audience getting to know each other quickly as a whole, as we had big work ahead of us. At least that´s what we were told, yet to be unveiled, even as we disembarked at the doors of the Hotel Florida in Ambato.

We met together as a group for an overview, an official orientation, and a few details thrown in for fun. Here we learned more about the CITTI Project, where we have been, where we are going. This year we want to build on last year´s success, with the amazing return count of 9 extraordinary professionals in the field of assistive technology, special education, occupational therapy, speech pathology, photography, even anatomy. Add to that 3 new members to the group, all of whom were immediately embraced and brought into the fold. For more details on what we will be doing, meet at breakfast at 8, we were told. Buenos Noches.

The next day at breakfast we meet and get our itinerary. Off we go to the Asoplejicat Center where we visit the community computer center, then to the therapy center and independent living center. We meet and talk at length with ASO Center Director, Mercedes, the residents, the therapists, and forge ahead with our assessments. Trying every second to not lose sight of the community´s needs, and discarding our American assumptions when they crept in.----

Working as a full unit, we came together to develop our plan using the talents of the group, and dividing naturally into specialized sub-groups. We identified three area of focus. --We needed to make a ramp to increase the accessibility of the center van for the wheelchair users. Immediately, Dennis, ramp maker extraordinaire from 2006, was called to lead the team, with Maggie right by his side. --The OT´s, Lynn and Stacy, were assigned to come up with transfer strategies and techniques to pass along to ASO members, employees, and residents. Their goal is to use the talents of our skilled photographers, Diane and Chaya, to clearly illustrate the transfer strategies in an easy to follow demo board we can leave behind.

The third team ¨The Make It-Take It Team¨ consists of Elissa, Sonia, Mimi, and me, with the added expertise of Stacey, Lynn and Andrea.
The most amazing thing about the morning was the incredible team that emerged. This team, working as a whole on the same goals, under the same mission. Then the emergence of the sub-teams that collaborated to get specific tasks done. Now we have a plan, and to make it really work we need to make sure that we can teach others to teach others, and hopefully for them to teach even more people. How were we to make all this happen? In a way that was cost-efficient, replicable and sustainable? No one shot deals for CITTI Project, were in it for the long haul.
Thanks to Andrea´s fantastic ability to translate our goals so clearly, along with Thania and Adam, we will be able to go beyond just providing a short term solution for one, but now can achieve our goal to take these ideas to a larger whole.

There is still much work to be done and it´s only lunch time. Off to the market place to purchase items for our creations, modifications and adaptations. Here we are, a swarm of scary American shoppers barrelling down the aisles of the dime store, the hardware store, the wood shop, and the fruit stalls, all afternoon, on the lookout for items on our list. Identifying what we needed to make our replicable, affordable and sustainable suggestions.

At our day´s end debriefing, we came together and declared that our day was a success, and we achieved much. We recognized the importance of our team approach, and felt like together we could tackle anything that will come our way during our stay. We have our materials and we are ready to go.
Of course, we can change our minds, our directions, and our daily plans at a moment´s notice, but not our team spirit, our determination, and our clear mission. These will remain solid.