We sent 90 wheelchairs to JAN VIKAS SAMITI (JVS), a welfare association for the disabled in India, in October, 2016. JVS has sent us a report on the project, in which they introduced two children on wheelchairs. The excerpts of the article will show you how the children’s lives have changed.
(The English full text is from here . The Japanese one is from here .)
Salman is experiencing a new life in wheelchair.
Salman hails from a very poor family. His parents were unable to provide him any sort of help due to their low economic status and their stereotyped understanding also played a significant role in looking down upon the child as inferior and less important in life.
He had never thought of education as part of his life, but now he is very happy to go to school by wheelchair. His elder brother takes him to school and bring him home. He also takes him around within and outside the family. Using wheelchair he goes to relatives & neighbor’s houses for social activities, attending religious activities, attending cultural activities in school. He feels accepted and loved by his parents and teachers in the school. He is very regular to school now. He is quite independent in his ADL. The wheelchair has become a means of complete mobility and the source of happiness to him and to his family. The family members are very happy and grateful to Volunteers Group Japan for being their source of joy and life to Salman.
Bringing a way of redemption to the a child that was abandoned by the parents
Vibha is a CP affected child of 10 years age. She belongs to a large joint family of 23 members. She has 5 sisters. Vibha was born normal but the disease of jaundice affected her health and followed by the disability of CP due to lack of proper care and medication.
She was completely bedridden. Her parents were least interested in her growth and she was on death bed. She was affected by bed sore all over her body everyone thought she would not survive.
The work of the CBR Coordinator touched everyone in the family. This became a turning point to the family. The mother on observing the selfless service of the CBR worker began to help the child. She expressed a sigh of relief in receiving the wheel- chair. She said that Vibha feels comfortable in the wheelchair. Now there is a lot of improvement in her life. Before she used to cry always even when she is on bed, now the moment she is kept on the wheelchair she keeps quiet. Her mother takes her to the farm and brings her back home when she comes back. Her siblings take her around in the village for playing.
Vibha’s mobility has improved. Her mother expresses her joy in finding her daughter’s growth and is hoping to find her becoming normal again in life. The family members are also very happy to see her improving in life. They are very happy and grateful to Jan Vikas Samiti and Volunteers group Japan for helping Vibha to have better mobility in life.
July 27, 2017 Staff wrote.