Hope Centre Kashmir is a non-profit, non-political, non-government, and non-religious organisation, working in the remote, border, and disaster-prone areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sami Wani has run the centre since 2001. The centre is based in Ganderbal, near Srinagar.
Life in Kashmir is hard for people with disabilities. Hospitals in the region are generally overburdened and cater only to basic health services.
Jammu and Kashmir also has one of the highest numbers of people with disabilities in India, and there are very few artificial limb-making units in the Kashmir province.
Sami Wani says people affected by the region’s conflict still make up a major portion of the patients who come to Hope. Hope Centre fills a gap that few others can.
Empowerment and Advocacy
Hope’s work goes beyond medical care. The centre also supports women’s empowerment, running livelihood programmes, particularly for women, that include education, counselling, job training, self-help groups and microloans.
Hope Centre Kashmir also speaks up for people with disabilities, offering training on human rights, advocacy and health awareness so that people know their rights and can access the services they are entitled to.
Who They Help
Hope Centre supports people with disabilities, including many children, as well as other vulnerable people in remote and disaster-affected communities.
Many of the people they serve come from poor families who could never afford this care.
They have helped thousands of people with mobility problems, speech and hearing difficulties, cerebral palsy, conditions present from birth, and landmine injuries.
That includes people who have lost a leg to a landmine or unexploded shell, a danger that still exists in border villages. It also includes children with cerebral palsy, and children and adults who need hearing aids.
The centre runs awareness campaigns throughout the year to find people with disabilities who might otherwise go unnoticed.
Sometimes the biggest barrier is not cost but stigma. In one case, a child’s family refused to accept that she had a hearing problem.
Outreach and education help families take that first step.
What They Help With
Prosthetic limbs and orthotics. The centre fits low-cost prosthetic legs, a design pioneered by MEND.
Hearing aids and speech support, so children and adults can take part in school, work and family life.
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation, including occupational therapy and early intervention for children.
Corrective surgery, along with post-operative care for patients.
Mobility aids such as wheelchairs, tricycles and crutches.
Training for families and carers in home-based rehabilitation and in using and maintaining aids.
Livelihood support. The centre offers soft loans so people can set up their own small businesses.
The aids are given out free of charge.
Their Impact
Over 5,000 people have received assistive devices such as wheelchairs, tricycles, crutches and hearing aids.
Around 10,000 people have received prostheses and orthoses, about a thousand have had surgery, and seven thousand have been trained in basic home rehabilitation care.
In 2008, the centre was a finalist in the BBC World Challenge, chosen from 1,200 nominees.
How MEND is Involved with Hope Centre Kashmir
MEND’s low-cost prosthetic leg design is used at Hope Centre, helping people get back on their feet for a fraction of the usual cost.
We also supply low-cost parts that we source from China.
Do You Need Help?
Hope Centre welcomes people with disabilities and their families.
Address:
Near Wayil Bridge, NH-1D
Srinagar–Ladakh Highway
Ganderbal
Jammu and Kashmir 191201
India
How You Can Help
Working in a conflict zone is difficult, and resources are scarce. Your donation can help provide:
- A prosthetic limb or hearing aid for someone who can’t afford one
- Physiotherapy and follow-up care after surgery
- Training that helps a family member care for a loved one at home
- A small loan to help someone start earning an income
Donate to Hope Centre Kashmir through MEND