If you have a special connection to a place, it lasts a lifetime. When Lynn Cockburn was 11 years old, her father got a teaching job at a school in a small village near Bamenda, the capital of Cameroon’s North West Region. Her whole family ended up moving to Africa for two years.

“At first, it was really difficult for a small town Ontario girl to adjust to living in an African village,” says Cockburn. “That was quite an experience, but I loved it.”

When she moved back to Canada, she knew she would return to Cameroon one day – and that day came a decade ago when she returned as an occupational therapist and University of Toronto scholar.

An assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Cockburn does mental health and community development work in Cameroon and has set up diversity, research and education programs in rehabilitation and disability.

“I was excited to go back and felt welcomed despite difficult circumstances. The access to health care there is expensive and limited by a low ratio of physicians and other health care providers to patients,” explains Cockburn.

“The situation is even worse for those living with an impairment or a disability.

"Knowing the background and having personal relationships in Cameroon, I knew that I wanted to commit to working in this country I love for a long time. I decided to see what I could accomplish there in 10 years.”

Cockburn was a founding member of the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) at U of T in 2004. The centre is a hub for like-minded people who wanted to make a difference in disability and rehabilitation globally. Cockburn took charge of ICDR’s Cameroonian chapter, along with fellow occupational therapist Kate Suffling.

“Working in Cameroon is challenging. We hit many bumps along the road,” says Cockburn. “People with disabilities are marginalized and have very limited opportunities in their lives. What motivates me is the commitment of my colleagues both in Cameroon and Canada who are really trying to make things better for the people and for the country.”

Her approach to rehabilitation in Cameroon is three-pronged: help deliver direct care to people with disabilities, train local therapists and care providers, and carry out research.

More than 20 U of T occupational therapy students have learned about rehabilitation care delivery in Cameroon over the years, thanks to ICDR’s partnerships. “Our visiting students provide direct service to patients at a local rehabilitation centre, as well as take on at least one or two research or clinical projects, so that they see a bigger picture of international disability and rehabilitation work,” says Cockburn.

When it comes to working with the local health care providers, it is all about humility and openness for Cockburn and her Canadian colleagues and students.

“When you are trying to help patients or work on establishing specific programs, it can feel like there is not enough time for in-depth conversations, for understanding your partners and learning from each other,” she says.

“One of the things that we've done really well in Cameroon is to provide spaces and opportunities for everyone involved to talk about issues related to rehab and disability.”

Cockburn hopes that there will one day be a rehabilitation program at the new University of Bamenda, which is the first state university in Cameroon’s North West Region. The school’s visiting scholar program – which Cockburn helped set up – may be the first step toward this goal. The program will provide opportunities for scholars around the world to teach and work in Cameroon.

Wherever the visiting scholars and doctors might come from, Cockburn hopes that, like her, they will make a long-term commitment to this country. She also hopes the program will help some Cameroonian health sciences professionals living abroad return to Cameroon.

"There are more Cameroon-trained physicians working abroad than in Cameroon,” says Cockburn. “We hope that this program will provide a mechanism for some of them to come back to teach and work with local patients.”