| RAWWD |
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| Rehabilitation Aids Workshop by Women with Disabilities (RAWWD) |
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| RAWWD - Prema and her adapted two wheeler |
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| RAWWD - Prema braving Airport Road traffic in Bangalore |
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| RAWWD - working on during the refit |
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Ten years ago a small group of women were brought together by Mobility India for an innovative project. The difference is that they were all disabled. The women were trained to make rehabilitation aids and appliances like artificial limbs and callipers so that they could set up a workshop and run a business. Earning a regular monthly income linked to profits meant that many of them could see their own way in life and not to be seen as a burden. Surprisingly some families did not want their daughters to work outside the home and others thought what was the use of training disabled girls and women.
After a lot of persuasion and assurances 10 women with different disabilities were trained and the workshop, the only one of its kind in the whole of India. RAWWD supplies good quality low cost rehabilitation aids to a wide client base of poorer people in Bangalore, especially women and children. It is staffed exclusively by women, and, of the ten currently employed, seven have mobility impairments and one learning difficulties.
DDP has long taken an interest in RAWWD. We were able to support the refurbishment and upgrading of the workshop to make it a more accessible and safer work environment and the purchase of new equipment. We were able to increase managerial and admin staff time and paid for technical training. We were also able to purchase two motorcycles one of which was adapted for use by a disabled rider and both have proved highly efficient in negotiating Bangalore traffic when staff travel to various hospitals and referral centres to assess clients.
The future of RAWWD is assured in that there is a great deal of demand for their service. There is a need for staff training to continue and for number of staff to increase. However the premises are temporary and the women have a big dream – they want their own building and to continue to build a better services. DDP would very much like to help RAWWD and its fantastic women realize this dream. |
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