Activity Report from Beautiful Gate Foundation, Malaysia

Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled
Independent Living Activities Report for January/February 2008

January 3
Hospital Visitation
In University Hospital, Spinal injury due to road accident last November
She is now taking a rehabilitation program in the hospital to strengthen her arm, and for daily activities training. Follow up by Ivy Pua, peer counselor of Beautiful Gate via providing peer counseling.

January 7-31
Collaborate with TV station (NTV7)
To create awareness on ability of disabled persons and independent living of PWDs in Malaysia / To change public’s mind set towards PWDs from receiver to contributor.

January 1 - February 14
Promote Chinese New Year & Valentine Hamper Project
Create Job opportunity to assist PWDs moving towards economic independent

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/1/14/central/19961634&sec=central

February 15
Received call from Registrar of Society said that certificate of “Society of Independent For The Disabled Selangor” is ready for collection. Committee member of IL Selangor consists of 7 persons, 100% PWDs.Plan to rent a house to be used as IL Centre selangor.
From now onward Society of IL Selangor become a wing of BGF to implement IL.

Report from Nepal – CIL Kathmandu

The Constitution Assembly Election has hold on 10th April, 2008 after a long decade of People’s war and 19 days of Peoples Movement in Nepal. The results of the Constitution Assembly election have been pouring in from various parts of the country indicating a clear majority of the Communist Party Nepal (Maoists). On the other hand, most of the top political parties i.e.; Communist Party Nepal (UML) and Nepali Congress (NC) have experienced a humiliating defeat. There might be some reasons behind this,

First, and the foremost, what it depicts to a large extent is that the people have been fed up with the obsolete political discourse of the top parties Communist Party Nepal (UML) and Nepali Congress (NC). They were aspiring of a real change in the country for a long time.

Secondly, the people have expressed moral support to the decade-long Maoist war as the only means to abolish the monarchy by root from the country once and for all.

Thirdly, as the CPN (UML) and the NC argued, the amazing success of the Maoists is due to people’s desire for peace, which they thought could be achieved only by ending the insurgency as the Maoists were threatening to start armed rebellion all over again.

Whatever the reason behind the victory, the people have put all the responsibilities on the Maoists’ shoulder. Fulfillment of all aspirations of the voters seems to be a big challenge for the Maoists, as they are said to be native in statesmanship.

The Maoist leadership should pay heed to people’s aspiration and implement all the programs proposed in their manifesto. The people have given a chance to the CPN Maoist who repeatedly claimed that they would give them a roadmap for development and success. So that they should wisely utilize this opportunity and provide sustainable ground for all Nepalese irrespective of parties, castes and creed, sex and gender, Persons with Disabilities they belong to- to prosper, succeed and smile at both individual and social levels.

Krishna Gautam
CIL Kathmandu

Activity Report from Philippines for March 2008

(From Regular PCIL On-line Meeting on March 10, 2008)

HACI – Cebu
HACI is undergoing the dissolution process. There will be board meeting tomorrow. I cannot give you much at this time. On Wednesday, we will have IL meeting to discuss on how do you carry the IL in the future after HACI’s dissolution. HACI IL team will meet on Wednesday, March 12. Johnny and I will make a follow up visit with Therese and Nelbert (both SCI) whom we visited last year. We will find out if our Cebu Velez General hospital will allow us to have an office inside their campus after the international convention this March 27 to 29. Their contact, Dr. Jorgen Lim is still busy on their convention. The Cebu IL Team is not yet resolved whether they will form a new organization or will attach themselves to existing organization.
(Tess Chua and Johnny Cacanindin)

HACI – Cagayan De Oro
We just had a successful IL and PC one-day seminar here with the help of mam TESS. I had given my report and financial expenses, pictures to HUMAN CARE. We had an audience with our Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno fora lot since our Cong. Rufus Rodriguez promise for the infra but the Gov. declined our request…we will look for another donor will be our next move. This is the construction of an Independent Living Center-our version of OSCA. We donated a wheelchair form the 7th day Adventist to a gunshot SCI patient at the German Doctors’. The housing program of Habitat for PWDs will be launched this April. That’s all for now.
(Ike Ampo)

Life Haven & SCI Foundation
We (SCIF & LHI) are still looking for funds to conduct another peer counseling workshop. The original plan is to do the seminar workshop this March, however, due to budget constraints, we will move it to another date if we can raise the necessary funds. We visited a CP person (a quadriplegic on wheelchair who can barely move his limbs) in jail last March 4, 2008. He is in prison for about 5 years already for raping a young girl. They vehemently deny the accusation despite the court of appeal reaffirms the decision of the lower court. The case is now in the Supreme Court. It is being handled by the Department of Justice and was referred to the Public Attorney’s Office. We visited him to let him know that there are group of persons with disabilities who cares and empathize for him. We also wanted to see his condition inside the prison. He was so happy to see us and he narrated his story to the group. I met with Dr. Istvan Patkai and Violeta Bayato of CBM, they are in-charge of CBM’s Community Mental Health Program. I found out that they are now doing a lot of awareness campaign to help persons with mental illnesses including those with epilepsy. Information disseminated are substitute low-cost medicine, how to treat people with this kind of disability, etc. The program is geared towards community support, thus, making the community aware of their condition and therefore making them to respond better with their needs. Dr. Istvan is interested with what we are doing in the IL movement, particularly peer counseling among other services and activities we are doing. In the end, we can work together to bring this benefits to people with mental illnesses. They recognize us as a cross-disability group and they are very happy to know this.
(Edwin De Villa and Abner Manlapaz)