What Lies Within...

Cerebral Palsy Self-Help Center

Going back in time a bit to March 14th, Gina, RR and I accompanied Dr. Chandra Lekha Tuladhar from the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-town and several Rotaractors to visit the Self-Help Group for Cerebral Palsy.

The Rotary Club of Renton has provided grant funding for the center to purchase a number of custom-designed chairs and tables for the children to use at the center and also to have in their homes. The chairs themselves have been specially designed in Nepal and are built in Nepal. What’s so cool about them is that they can be adjusted as per the individual’s size and mobility needs.

Dr. Chandra Lekha is a person entirely dedicated to helping others through Rotary and who is involved in so many wonderful programs and projects. As we drive out to the center, she relates some of the interesting and high-impact projects she’s participated in. She helped coordinate this club-to-club partner project even though she’s not with the partnering club, the Rotary Club of Balaju- she’s with the Kathmandu Mid-Town club. She really doesn’t care who does the project, as long as it gets done!

She describes a very terrible situation which is all-too-common in the village areas where parents of kids with CP must work all-day in the fields. They don’t have any caregivers and there are no daycare options. Dr. Chandra Lekha said that many times the family will dig a circular hole in front of their house and then they place their child in this round hole and there he/she must stay for the day….rain or shine, through cold weather or in the heat, or in the mud. However, I think people must try to understand, these aren’t bad people, they just don’t have the knowledge, resources or care options that we do.

At the center we visited the various rooms where different learning aids and equipment are kept and classes are given. They even have a computer-learning center and the teacher is herself a person with disability, her own movements limited by her wheelchair. She tells how one of her students works the mouse and keyboard with his feet and toes, as his hands and arms aren’t functional! She is so able, interested and excited to teach computer skills to these children.

What is inside these children’s minds? I watch one of the children move letters around on the table in front of him, making seemingly random movements until I notice that the letters are being pushed into place in ABC order! It seems he isn’t able to communicate much, but when coaxed by a Rotaractor he is able to respond, engage and smile. Is there a Stephen Hawking inside this child, anxiously waiting to be discovered? Only a place such as this with loving, caring help and patience will ever be able to find out…

These funds sent by RC Renton made it possible for this project to happen, for the design to take place and for this critical need to be fulfilled for these children. However, there are so many more children in the same situation who have a need for these chairs. If any other clubs or individuals wish to make a donation for one or more of these chairs, they only cost about $100 to produce here in Nepal. Please contact me for more details.

-Rob.