Rehabilitation Initiative - India

Rehabilitation Initiative

~  Providing physical therapy and rehabilitative care to communities around the world

The International Pediatric Outreach Project (IPOP) is pleased to announce the expansion of the Rehabilitation Initiative to India, in partnership with the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM).

Past Work

Decades of violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo have left a wake of children with extensive traumatic injuries and untreated congenital disabilities. In 2009, IPOP sent physical therapists Loran Hollander and Laura Keyser to launch the Rehabilitation Initiative.  Loran and Laura designed and implemented a curriculum to train and mentor “orthopedic officers” and physical therapists in the identification, management, and prevention of the common musculoskeletal and neurological impairments in this region. This approach has allowed the program to continue with locally trained therapists continuing the work. 

Expansion to India

After successfully implementing projects in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, we will adapt this program to meet the rehabilitation needs of the rural and tribal communities of Sargur in Karnataka province in southern India. 

Current Situation:

Over one billion people worldwide are living with a disability, and of those, 80% live in developing countries. While some efforts have been made in India to address this vast problem, countless individuals go without proper health and rehabilitative care. During a recent trip to Sargur, the Rehabilitation Initiative team identified many patients with all sorts of disabling conditions – congenital deformities, burns, amputations, cerebral palsy, strokes, ect. The majority of these individuals were left with no means for learning to function in their homes and communities, left without access to education or livelihood opportunities, and had to cope with the stigma that they would be only a burden to their families and loved ones.

SVYM has made great strides in providing basic health care to the rural population and tribal communities in this region. However, they currently lack the training and resources to address the unique rehabilitation needs of this population. Their local doctors, nurses and community health workers have asked IPOP to help them build a rehabilitation program both to provide direct physical therapy, and to assist the community with integrating those with disabilities into their homes, schools and workplaces. 

Our Team:

Our team includes UCSF Assistant Clinical Professors Mitul Kapadia, MD MSc and Theodore Ruel, MD along with physical therapists Laura Keyser, MS, DPT and Loran Hollander, PT. Our team have extensive experience working across the globe to lessen the burden of disability through early identification, treatment and prevention education.

Proposed Project:

Drawing from their expertise, we will launch this new project in 2013. By training local therapists through an extensive rehabilitation curriculum, building a therapy gym at each of the SVYM hospitals, and establishing local partnerships to obtain equipment such as wheelchairs and prosthetics, we will create a sustainable program, which will ultimately be locally managed.

How will your contributions help?

100% of your contribution will directly help us in our initiative to develop a community-based rehabilitation project for the people of rural Karnataka, India. For $35,000, we can build a therapy gym at each of the SVYM hospitals with all necessary equipment and train local therapists through an extensive rehabilitation curriculum. We will also develop and support a local “core rehabilitation team” to support community outreach projects, establish local partnerships to obtain equipment such as wheelchairs and prosthetics, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a way both to raise essential funds for this project while also increasing awareness about the lack of rehabilitation services in rural settings like Sargur, India.  Disability in the settings where we work is often taboo and we want people to engage with this challenge rather than ignore it. Even if you cannot donate, you can help by connecting people to our cause. IndieGoGo is an international crowdfunding service which will help us get the word out throughout the world including our networks in India. 

Other ways to help

In addition to making a donation to our cause, you can help us get the word out about the Rehabilitation Initiative Project. You can post an update on LinkedIn, update your Facebook status, Tweet to your followers, share our video on your YouTube channel, or email your contacts this site's link. The more you share this page via Indiegogo, the more Indiegogo will help promote the project.  We are very grateful for your help!

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!!

IPOP Facebook Page

We cannot thank you enough for your time and interest in helping to develop this important program in India. 

This is an experiment in fundraising by a bunch of geeky, but dedicated idealists.  Check back early and often to see how our stats change, and we will promise to keep the updates coming.  Do I need to say donations are tax deductible? Well, they are!