Summary
Philanthropy Connections supports the Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development (RICD) Wheelchair Project, which delivers up to 2000 wheelchairs and mobility aids each year to physically disabled people throughout Thailand, parts of Laos, Burma and Malaysia.
The RICD Wheelchair Project team customises all wheelchairs to meet the specific requirements of each individual. In 2014 the tools the Wheelchair Project staff used to maintain and modify the wheelchairs were more than a decade old and worn out.
In 2013 Philanthropy Connections came in touch with ‘Bazar International de Luxembourg’, an organisation that hosts an annual charity fundraising event. They donated € 5.000 that was eventually used to purchase a new set of tools for the RICD Wheelchair Project.
Background
Very often people with mobility impairments lead isolated lives with reduced opportunities to participate in community life. This is especially true in disadvantaged communities where families have neither the time nor the means to offer assistance to disabled relatives.
In 2000 the Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development (RICD) launched a project to deliver wheelchairs to disabled people throughout Thailand. Philanthropy Connections found a sponsor to cover the costs of a van to enable more efficient delivery of the wheelchairs. The van serves as a workshop for adaptations, repairs and maintenance of the wheelchairs and other mobility aids.
The van also transports teams of professionals that not only delivers the wheelchairs, but adapts them and gives medical advice and support to the users and caregivers.
Goals and Results
In 2013 Philanthropy Connections came in touch with ‘Bazar International de Luxembourg’. After learning about the RICD Wheelchair Project, they made a donation of € 5.000 to purchase a special industrial sewing machine for modifying wheelchair seats and making other repairs.
When the sewing machine was ordered the supplier thought it was such a good project that they donated the sewing machine free of cost. This meant that the donation from Bazar International could be used for something else needed within the Wheelchair Project.
At the time the Wheelchair Project was working with tools that were worn out and needed to be replaced. This affected their ability to adjust and repair wheelchairs. We discussed this need with Bazar International and they agreed to use their donation of € 5.000 to purchase new tools. The donation went to cover the cost for drills, an electrical saw, a staple gun, a compressor and small working tools.
