HANDI-CARE INTERNATIONAL Dedicated to helping the poor, the disabled and the women of our community Forum on Disability 2004

A hundred years from now, It will not matter... What my bank account was, The sort of house I lived in, Or the kind of car I drove... But the world may be different… Because I was important In the Life of a Child. Handi-Care Intl.

What is Handi-Care Intl.??? Handi-care is a registered charity created to provide funds for international initiatives, specifically aimed at the poor, the disabled and the rights of women Until now, the majority of our funds have been donated to international causes. However, we see a need for on ethno- specific initiatives in the GTA.

Handi Care Intl (HCI) has been registered as a Canadian charity since 1992 and is completely administered by volunteers. Office space and all administration hours donated. Since HCI is a registered charity, tax receipts are issued for all donations HCI conducts Annual Fund Raising events, apart from sustained commitments from kind hearted, empathetic persons in the community Our Fund Raising events are also activities specifically geared towards "Raising Awareness" in the community and motivating our youth members to encourage greater participation The organization is supported by a host of enthusiastic, dedicated and committed volunteers, which, in turn, has enabled HCI to consistently disburse in excess of 90% of the funds it has raised directly towards charitable activities Handi-Care Intl.

To Rehabilitate, Educate and Empower disadvantaged persons of South Asian descent through raising awareness, effective partnerships and Efficient Fundraising Our Mission: Handi-Care Intl.

What motivated us to start Handi- Care Intl. in the first place? “Physical disability is NOT a deterrent to achieving ones goal in life.” is what we learnt from 2 gentlemen who run “Amar Seva Sangam” from their wheel chairs.

Handi-Care Intl. Our Visionaries The building blocks of Amar Seva Sangam - an institute that is dedicated to Shelter, Education, Rehab & Vocational Training of rural poor & disabled

Ramakrishnan, rendered quadriplegic at age 21, after a fatal accident, decided that he would NOT let his life go waste and would do everything possible to help disabled children in his village. Supported by his family & friends, he Started ASSA in 1981, the Year of the Disabled. Sankara Raman, confined to a wheel chair from childhood with Muscular dystrophy, is a brilliant Charted Accountant who had a flourishing practice by age 25. As a devout social reformer, having faced & successfully overcome several challenges, he decided to join Mr. Ramakrishnan to make a dream come true. Giving up his practice, he joined ASSA in 1991, only to revolutionize the entire rural community.

Handi-Care Intl. Our Visionaries Together, these selfless men inspired us to start this charity and thus we began to benefit countless people in need of assistance.

Siddik: stricken with poverty and Polio (1993) Siddik: now a top student in Grade 6 (1999) From Disability to Ability Handi-Care Intl.

Currently, funds raised by Handi-care Intl. goes directly to the following Projects: AMAR SEVA SANGAM (ASSA)  SHELTER  EDUCATION  MEDICAL FACILITY  REHABILITATION PROGRAMS  VOCATIONAL TRAINING  WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT  PROSTHETIC AIDS & DEVICES  RURAL VILLAGE BASED REHAB  PREVENTION & EARLY DETECTION

Maithri Education & Charitable Trust RUN BY YET ANOTHER DISABLED VISIONARY R. SRIDHAR EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WHO ARE OTHERWISE PUT TO CHILD LABOUR Handi-Care Intl.

Within himself, he felt a moral obligation to come to the aid of those of his kind, to give them the education he was deprived of; Shridhar, A polio victim, and a few friends started the Maithri Educational & Charitable Trust. The objective of the Trust is to provide educational assistance to poor students, who would otherwise be forced into child labour. More than 250 have benefited from Maithri, some of whom are Engineers, well settled in the US & the Middle East.

Nesam - LOVE The Spastics Society of India started this school for mentally retarded children in 1991, as one of their "COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION" projects. They train the mothers in Physio-Therapy, Speech-Therapy and special education. Now, it is run independently with the support of donors. Handi-Care Intl.

Aim For Seva Swami Vivekananda Education Society Others SEVA SADAN Other organizations that have benefited from Handi- Care Intl. on a one-time basis include but are not limited to: SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH

Handi-Care Intl. Success Story of M.Jegan Jegan was in very poor shape when began at the program. With regular health and other physical rehabilitation, Jegan benefited immensely. He improved his posture and can now walk more comfortably.

New Initiatives These include placing interested students as volunteers in some of our organizations in India. Both the volunteers and the charities benefit from this opportunity. (The volunteers gain excellent experience and the charities get new ideas to help in the development of their beneficiaries) Handi-Care Intl.

We are now looking to expand our services to the local arena to help those in our own community with disabilities. Our past has afforded us the experience and gained us the reputation of being dedicated and successful.

Handi-Care Intl. The purpose of this Forum is… To begin a needs assessment in our community so we can specifically target HCI’s efforts where it is most needed To hear your suggestions… What are some examples of future projects that you would like to see?How can we get the community better involved?