Activity Report from Beautiful Gate Foundation, Malaysia

Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled
Independent Living Activity Report for November/December 2007

November 5
Home visitation to Taiping (northern part of Malaysia)
Visit a spinal injury person. Bed ridden for 5 years.
Action taken: brought him to Hospital in KL for his health problem and attended a rehabilitation course to strengthen his arm, and for daily activities training. He is now still in hospital for his diabetic treatment. Follow up by Hee Yong Wah via providing peer counseling.

November 7
Meeting with Residents Association in SS2 in order to get their support in providing a friendly environment for PWDs to live independently in the community of SS2.
Sia Siew Chin was elected as committee member of Residents Association of SS2, become medium between SS2 Residents Association and PWDs in SS2.

November 17
Jointly organized parade by PWDs at Muar together with Society of Love Independent Living for PWDs Muar. About 50 PWDs take part. Submitted memorandum to State Assembly Man of Muar.

November 23
Produce DVD about story of a PWD who live independently.
This DVD will be distributed to hospital to encourage those newly disabled persons.

December 3
Radio broadcast about International Day of PWDs.
It is an hour program. I mentioned about obstacles that prevented PWDs to live an independent life and appeal public & government to eliminate the obstacles.

December 6, 13, 20, 27
Weekly IL program
3pm-5pm, 9 pwds attended.

Activity Report from CIL-Kathmandu, Nepal

Feb 15.
CIL Kathmandu completed workshop/training on “Human right education and UN Convention for the Persons with Disabilities” from 28th Jan to 30th Jan 2008. This program was organized with the collaboration of Human Right Yes team America. The resource persons were Ms. Janet Lord and Ms. Valerie Karr from Washington D.C.

One of the young leader from Japan (Mainstream Association) Mr. DAI OKITA is here at CIL Kathmandu for 2 months. CIL Kathmandu is going to organize Independent Living Training in Nepal. Shafiq and Akmal from Pakistan will attend the training.

Nepal Government is going to held Constitution Assembly Election on April 10. Persons with disabilities are demanding the government and political parties for the immediate action which include representation of PWDs in legislative body to be formed to promulgate the constitution, reservation of seats for constituent assembly election, and inclusion of appropriate paragraphs and wordings in the interim constitution.

Activity Report from Human Care Association, Japan

Human Care Association Intensive Peer-Counseling Course in 2007

Human Care Association (HCA) organized peer-counseling intensive course from Sep 30 to Oct 2 in 2007 at Tokyo Tama Sports Center for the Disabled. Nine persons with disabilities including not only persons with physical disabilities but also persons with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities participated into the course.

Since some participants had never taken peer-counseling, we were careful to help them understand the meaning of peer-counseling through actual practice.

We started the course with relation building for ice-breaking. Participants and course leaders took a time to know each other and tried to make cozy atmosphere for next two days. We spent rest of the day for themes such as “purpose and agreement of peer-counseling” and “roles of counselor and client”.

On the second day, we conducted “nature of human beings,” “discharge of emotion,” and “meaning of disability.” Each participant closely looked into his/her own feeling through sessions and Think and Listen about each significant theme. Participants had opportunities to speak about bitter experiences in the society. They listened each other and shared feelings as “peers.”

In the evening, we had a party, which is indispensable part of the course for further communication among participants and course leaders. We made some groups and give performance, such as, skit, game and quiz.

On the last day, we conducted “relation between ILP and peer-counseling” and “role-playing” for understanding concrete methods to support independent living of persons with disabilities.

At the beginning of the course, we worried of our health conditions because we had to bear 3 days at different living environment. However, each of us could maintain good health condition with mutual support and communication of necessary information about own disabilities and illness for participation into the course.

We wish experiences and relationship gained through the course will be meaningful for participants’ daily life.
(Yoshihiro Mitsuoka)

Activity Report from Philippines for Jan 2008

January 5, 2008

- HACI Cebu by Patrick Cacanidin Jr.

December 29, 2007, Tess Chua and Johnny Cacanindin visited NL, 35 years old, a computer engineer, married with three children and had a vehicular accident on December 19, 2006. He has had Spinal cord injury and now a quadriplegic.

We have a meeting scheduled next week to talk about having an IL office in Cebu Velez General Hospital.

Last December 9, 2007, HACI had a general meeting and majority of their members proposed to dissolve HACI. However, those who are involved in IL are intact and intend to continue our activities

- HACI De Oro by Dr. Ike Anpo

We requested COA (Commission on Audit) to sponsor the venue of the proposed IL and PC training but unfortunately denied for the facilities would have been occupied then. The scheduled IL and PC orientation was rescheduled to be conducted this January since the funds and the venue were not available at the time. HCA sent the money order last December 20 and we received confirmation from Postal Office yesterday (Jan 4, 2007) that the funds have arrived. We have coordinated with Ms. Tess Chua for the activity to be conducted on January 24, 2008 and expect an attendance of 20 persons more or less.

We do a regular promotion of IL and PC program through a radio show at RMN – DCXX every Sunday, 2:30 – 3:00pm called “Kumusta Ka, Igsoon” (How are you, my friend). The program solely tackles issues, concerns and updates of Persons With Disability. We are also promoting the continuous registration of PWDS

We held Christmas parties for children with disabilities with STAC (Stimulation and Theraputic Activity Center project) – German Doctors sponsored by the MASONS and other parties with local and national offices.

Three days ago (Jan 2) a 9y.o. child with SCI level T4 due to gunshot was referred to us and now undergoing rehab at the STAC and I think he needs a body brace. We also referred him to an Adventist NGO who gives wheelchair to indigent PWDS. The Country Manager of German Doctors’, Mr. Dietmar Schug, informed me also of a 34yo. male who is now with SCI due to gunshot also and he promised to set a meeting for us

- Life Haven Inc. by Abner Manlapaz
We managed to prepare and submit a project proposal for Panibagong Paraan 2008. We are also preparing for the upcoming IL Peer Counseling Seminar Workshop to be held at Jalajala, Rizal this January 12-17, 2008. This seminar workshop is funded thru NAPC-PWD by DOH

- SCIF by Edwin de Villa

We will be joining the IL PC training conducted by LHI this Jan 12 -18.