She Hope Disability Centre, Kashmir

27-09-2010

World challenge visited the She Hope Disability Centre in Kashmir in 2008. In Independence Day viewers got to see the work of Sami Wani and his team as they provided support for disabled children in the troubled region. From its humble beginnings in a small rented room in 2001, the non-profit has grown exponentially and now provides care and treatment for over 3000 people. They have a close association with MEND, a New Zealand based charity, which we will be featuring in this year’s World Challenge as we catch up with their work in Nepal.

Since we last visited the Centre has been even busier. 'Lots has happened here since the BBC aired our story' says volunteer Diane Emerson, 'the most significant change is that Handicap International and the European Commission has entered into a one year partnership that ends in September.' The deal has allowed the Centre to continue its expansion, and they've been able to reach out to the community a lot more successfully. Sami and his team can now employ therapists and outreach workers, as well as mobility aids, to help children across the area.

And it’s not just their range of services that has expanded. The team have added a first floor to the centre, which you’ll see on the front page of their new website, and a self-contained flat to house volunteers. “I am always intrigued watching the carpenters work here, with no power tools. Making window frames, planks, etc, all with hand saws” remarks Dianne in her blog about her work at the centre. Over the last few years they’ve re-opened the café and now have a new wheelchair ramp.

It’s great to see Sami and his team doing well, and the link with Handicap International seems to have really made a big change. “I do not know the role the BBC story played in getting Handicap International interested in us,” says Dianne, “but anyone who would have seen that video during the decision-making process couldn't help but want to get involved”. Make sure you keep following their progress on their new site, and see how the story continues to unfold for the Centre.

Posted by Oliver Lamb