Crutches 4 Kids has partnered with AmeriCares India Foundation (AIF) to bring mobility to children in need of crutches in impoverished communities across India. There are hundreds of thousands of children that are being underserved and we believe that we can help close the gap in partnership with others who share our mission and commitment to empowering those without! According to AIF:
Locomotor disability is one of the highest in India with overall 1008 per 100,000 individuals impacted by it. However the biggest problem encountered by disabled people in India is that they simply are not on the radar screen of the Nation. For 48 years after Independence (until 1995), there was no law to secure their rights. For 54 years after Independence (until 2001), they were not even counted in the Census and so the Nation had no data on disability. Even though these two basics have now been corrected, the damage done was so huge that generations have paid and will pay the price of being born disabled in India. From attaining education to securing a job, to be able to just move around the city and go to normal places like a cinema or a park or a shopping area, it is all one huge challenge for an average disabled Indian.
AmeriCares President & CEO Michael Nyenhuis oversees distribution of crutches at Asmita Jogeshwari.
Photo Courtesy of: AIF
We are working with AIF to develop a program that meets the needs of children who fall into this category. Thus far, 250 children in various regions of India have been identified to receive the initial donation funded by a grant from Crutches 4 Kids. AIF and its partners on the ground will distribute and follow-up with beneficiaries to make sure they are receiving appropriate care.
The first distribution took place on August at the Asmita Jogeshwari Social, Cultural and Educations Institute in India. Asmita Jogeshwari is a Mumbai-based organization that enables handicapped Indians to be self-reliant by providing holistic livelihood training as well as health care, education and cultural activities.
Stay-tuned for more updates on our programming in India through our partnership with AmeriCares India Foundation.