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An article in the German magazine for physiotherapists was placed by Johanna Komp from Berlin in August 2002. She was looking for professional help for a severely handicapped little girl Rigzin deep in the mountains of Ladakh - Karola Kostial and her husband apply for this job. They had never been to the Himalaya region. |
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The Kostials contacted Dieter Glogowski, a well known photo- and TV-journalist. He had spent a lot of time in Ladakh and knows the people there very well. With his help the preparations for the trip become more specific. His beautiful book "Buddhistische Ansichten" (Buddhist Insights) and the travel guide from Jutta Mattausch "Ladakh and Zanskar" turn into the maid reading material of the couple.In February 2003 they meet Geshe La in Munich. Geshe La ist the head monk of the monastery in Lingshed, the village where Rigzin lives. He promises to help with the organisation of the operation in Ladakh and to find a horseman for them. June 2003 finds Johanna Komp in Guenzburg. She introduces her trip and the countryside of Ladakh with a public slide presentation. At the same time all the friends of Ladakh found a non-profit-organisation, called Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. (Ladakh-Help). Three newsletters are written by Karola during the preparation for the operation to inform all the friends about the progress. Aids (children's shoes, toys, clothes, medical aid etc.) are being collected August finds the Kostials every weekend in some mountain region in Europe to prepare for the challenge with intensive training of endurance and adaption to height. They try a good camera they had loaned from a local photo shop for the trip. One year of intensive preparation follows the humanitarian trip lasting five weeks. In Ladakh they work with the girl stricken with cerebral palsy. Many aids are distributed, many contacts made and the future care of the sick child is being prepared. They are impressed with the poverty of the people and promise more help. In Leh they make contact with the "Namgyal Institute for the Handicapped", the only organisation taking care of the handicapped in Ladakh. Back home they write newsletter nr. 4 and inform all the friends about the journey November 18th, 2003 they hold a public slide presentation in Guenzburg in the BKH-Festsaal. 80 interested people come to watch and are very impressed. Sturdy shoes for children and adults are being collected for the people of Lingshed. Two packages with altogether 8 kg are being sent to Ladakh by travellers. Rigzin's mother receives 100 € out of donations from the slide presentation to support of the family. By the end of December an article about the operation with many pictures appears at the local newspaper. The work of the Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. is getting to know more and more. Almost weekly the Kostial's receive phone calls (satellite phone) from Lingshed from their new friends. Also letters and e-mails arrive at their home in Guenzburg. Together with doctors specialized in paediatrics they are looking for information about certain and rare children's diseases. The information is being sent to Leh to the Namgyal Institute to help with the therapy of some of the kids. January 14th, 2004 Karola holds a powerpoint presentation about "Physiotherapy in Ladakh"at the neurological clinic in Guenzburg for the doctors of the clinic. The response is wonderful: They are given to a mechanical camera to take pictures in the future and are assured of their interest and support. All throughout the winter the Kostial's hold slide presentations: for family, friends and colleges. On January 31st the first official board meeting for the Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. is being held at Monika Kübel's house in Leipheim. Also the winter months are being used to write informative and exiting articles about the operation in Ladakh with a plead for help: for the German magazine of physiotherapy and for the special journal for orthopaedists and aid makers. Those articles appear in April and May 2004. February 11th a dramatic e-mail is being sent to Guenzburg: Cynthia Hunt had found another severely handicapped child far into the mountains. The Kostial's are being asked to come and help again and at the same time do some instructional teaching for medical assistants. They decide to go back and help. Four weeks in June/July 2004 with a tight schedule should help. During the main membership meeting in march the plans are being discussed and approved. The trip is to be financed by the Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. The only problem: there is no money in the account. The Kostial's write newsletters, push open doors to inform the public with slide presentations and get invited to hold power point presentations at the local boys high school and the elementary school. The interest of the public is aroused. The beginning of April the entire story was heard in the Bayerische Rundfunk. Mr. Dr. Bayerle interviewed the Kostial's about their adventures and presented it during a radio program. On April22nd, 2004 another public slide presentation is being held in a large room in Guenzburg. The proceeds flow into the account of the Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. The response to publication of the articles in specialized journals is overwhelming: Many Physiotherapists want to travel to Ladakh and help the disabled in a selfless and dedicated manner. They are being scheduled and organized and it is unbelievable, but all the way to 2006 the treatment of the children in Ladakh is secured. Karola spends a lot of time talking to the women (and some men) and prepares them for their operation. One week before they fly to India the entire boys' high school (400 boys) organizes a sponsoring run for the project in Ladakh. The
second very intensive work trip takes the Kostials four weeks. The
loca parents have heard of them coming and they bring the children
from everywhere. The Kostial's are being accompanied by Cynthia Hunt,
their coordinator, and a translator.
Handicapped
child awaits us
upon our arrival in Kuramabik Contact with the christian "Moravian Mission" in Leh is being established. Rev. Elisha Gergan, the director of the mission is interested in working with special children. He offers his support and collaboration. The new partners: Moravian Mission, Namgyal Institute, Cynthia Hunt and the Kostial's lay the foundation of an initiative to instruct locals in physiotherapy. Teachers and medical assistants will be trained to go out into the country and continue with the therapy. The teachings will be in the rooms of the "Ability Centre", the new room for therapy, offered by Mr. Gergan on his school compound. Cynthia Hunt will produce a book for the parents of the disabled children. With the digital pictures taken by the Kostial's during their work in Ladakh and instructional texts she will illustrated the books and print them in two local languages to help the parents. Back in Germany Karola is able to send the first therapists up to Ladakh to continue their work. Now there are also orthopaedists wanting to go. Very surprised are the members of the Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. about the result of the sponsoring run held by the high school: 4500 Euro had been collected for the children in Ladakh. Almost 3000 € are being sent up to Leh immediately to help get the new initiative started. The family of Rigzin is also being supported.
For the older sister of Rigzin we found a sponsor so she may attend the Moravian Mission School.
The German physios in Ladakh report continually about their work by e-mail. They are discovering more and more severely handicapped children. The parents are bringing them now since they have heard that help is available. The therapists travel into the remote regions to treat and instruct. All involved worked out a curriculum for the teaching sessions. Rev. Elisha Gergan offers one his teachers to help with the teachings. September finds Johanna Komp in Günzburg again. She views the pictures of the last operation and will try to generate support in Berlin. Toward the end of September an occupational therapist from Berlin calls. The Kostial's had met her during their last flight to Delhi. She accompanied a transport of aids for disabled and poor children so Bangalore, India. Now she offers her help to the Ladakh-Hilfe e.V.
Nov 18 through 19 the Kostials meet with the "Friends of Lingshed" in Graz, Austria. The are delighted to spend some time with the befriended monks Lama Sonam and Lama Padma of Lingshed and their friend Sonam Dorje. The "Friends of Linshed" have built a solarschool in the remote village and support this school with all means possible. (please contact them under www.solarschool.org) Nov. 21th the members of the association of the "Ladakh Hilfe e.V." meet to see the pictures of the last trip and discuss the plans for the winter. It was a wonderful meeting with a bit of christmas touch! Nov. 27th a newspaper article appears in the local newspaper telling the story of the start of the school for physiotherapists in Leh, Ladakh in a very touching way. Many people read it and a positive response floods back to the members of Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. 2010.....many things happened meanwhile... In September 2006 we hired our first local to work with us, others followed. In 2009 we sent our first local girl to Delhi for a two year training to become a physical therapist. Now we employ 5 local people and train them on the job, they are doing a very good work and took over the entire operation under the umbrella of the newly founded REWA Society, Ladakh Disabled Childrens Group, our local NGO. They organise all the work, drive the two cars (a jeep and a van) we had purchased for field trips and home visits. 2009 we rented different and more suitable accomodations for our volunteers who still keep coming all around the year, even in winter. We also rented a large building from the Lions Club Leh right in the heart of the town and renovated it into a very attractive an perfectly equipped Therapy Center called RAC (REWA Ability Center). The inauguration was held in July 2009, June 2010 we completed the construction of an playground for disabled right in front of the RAC, in September the same year we added a special sensitivity and adventure walk right beside playground. Karola Kostial kept coming back every year for the purpose of organisation and the built up of functional structures, for PR-related work and for teaching and motivation of the local employees. In August 2010, right after the terrible disaster of the flood that struck Leh and entire Ladakh, Karola and the staff offered help for traumatized people to regain strenght and health with the start of a trauma-center located in our RAC. It was well recieved and many people came and are still coming for help.Also lots of funds to help the smitten people were collected in Germany by the volunteers and the German Ladakh-Hilfe e.V. Dieter GLogowski came to Ladakh and helped also, promising to support the work of Ladakh-Hilfe/REWA Society. August 2010 Karola travelled to Kargil and started with the help of wonderful local people a new basis for the work of REWA. Two local Kargil people will be sent to Leh for training during the winter and in summer 2011 they will return to Kargil, together with German volunteers, to start working with the special children in the Kargil area. Further expansion of the same kind is planned for the remote Zanskar region. Please check all our reports and news for updates. Thank you so much for your interest in our work!!!! |
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