REWA SOCIETY, Ladakh Disabled Children Group

The biggest event of the past week was the opening ceremony on Monday, 20.7.2009. This day was for all of us an unforgettable experience in every respect. The weeks and, above all, the days previously were under the shadow of this event, we also had to change the date even twice backward. First, we wanted the festival on Saturday, 18.7., but had been informed that we would not have any chairs, since a major gathering of the government took place. Because Ladakh literally is a "village", there was also all the VIPs, and therefore all the guests on our guest list were at this meeting. The same was true for the Sunday on which the police held a huge meeting and needed the chairs. So we opted for the Monday and this was, as could determine, the ideal date.

But initially there was still work in full swing. Simone, our designer, designed childlike fresh invitation cards, and fought with the printer to every detail, until everything was as we imagined. Dolkar and Kunzang spent so much time to distribute the invitation cards personally. Very quickly we desigend large posters with the titles "Who we are, what we do", "Field Trips" and a hierarchical list of employees of both our organizations. We had T-shirts with the logo REWA customized that all employees and volunteers should wear. German tourists, who stayed with Mr. David, painted almost 100 stones REWA with our logo and other fun designs to give the to guests later. Four treatment beds, we had the local blacksmith in order, they were neatly upholstered in time during the week before delivery, however, diverged with their dimensions (height and width) just a bit from our claim. Regardless, it can be reworked.The natural coir carpet came early last week but it was not put down until Saturday, 18.7., after the masons fixedl several holes in the concrete floor and the stairs of commerce. The carpenters and painters worked well until Sunday, to bring shelves and chests to completion.
In the middle of all this action there were we, the volunteers and locals, the children in the treatment, guests from all over the world who always drop in to look and Mr. David, with his perseverance and reliability having the whole matter fully under control. We knew e.g. not that he had spent several evenings with the music band, which should surround the opening, and sought out songs with the musicians suietable for the day, the also created a completely new song for our children with disabilities and it was very touching. The group presented its service completely free of charge. Our volunteers picked over 60 pictures of our kids, they had them printed in DIN A 4 size and glued them on wooden boards that the carpenter cut out for us. An employed cleaning team cleaned the windows and the rooms and freed the space in front of the house of weeds and dust.

Full of expectation we looked on Monday, with blue skies dawned. The local employees were given an overall organization, we completed the details. With many carloads hey the brought the children and and their parents around 11 am. A catering service set up tables, supplied us with tea and biscuits while we worked. The carpentet fixed some wooden lats on the emtpy spaces on the walls, then the volunteers themselves and put the pictures up. In one corner was a TV with DVD set up, then we showed our German film about Ladakh and a DVD with pictures from our children. The band set up 12 clock and blared their songs (from Country Western modern music Hindi songs) full of fun into the area and attracted plenty of onlookers.I was very surprised about the high quality of performance and the friendliness of the musicians. In the treatment room things were really moving. Two friends pumped Pezziballs and placed toys in the shelves, and hung up chanins of balloons, prepared by the children and staff. The cleaning team was still there, burned garbage, cleaned the chairs, and helped wherever needed. Many cameras flashed, waiting on more items during the ceremony.

Disability Organization PAGIR (they work with adult disabled people, helping them to get jobs) built a booth in one of our rooms. Outside the building there was a huge canvas on which the 150 chairs were set up, the back of the seating area covered by panels.
15:30 am the first guests arrived. We welcomed them and led them into our rooms and left them to observe the colorful and happy life. More and more guests came and therapists began to work with the children and their parents, and the started to sing songs and play games. The guest observed with maximum interest, it was something they had never seen before: so many children with disabilities in one place, playing together with healthy children, caressing each other, children who laughed, and rejoiced and participated in the action-intensive games.
The guests then moved on to sit on the chairs we had prepared outside, the children with their parents came, so did curious onlookers, drawn by the music. Dolkar was the first to start with an introduction speech, then I followed with a history of developing Ladakh-Hilfe/REWA, then spoke Mr. David, the director of REWA Society. Sonam (the girl that we had operated on in Delhi last fall because of an open spinal cord) told everybody about her experiences with REWA, Kunzang finalized with an invitation to dinner (Heavy Tea). All the speeches lasted no longer than 25 minutes. We broke with an entrenched tradition in Ladakh:Typically, one of the most important guests has to hold a long speech. Although we had even the Circuit Commissioner, the highest government official in Leh, present, we wanted our children to be the center of attention. Surprisingly, this was very well received and even the Commissioner expressed his good will about our approach.
As everybody was busy with the food, we mixed amongst the visitors and explained about our work. Three "important" men from Kargil came up to me, very much touched emotionally about our performance. They begged us to help them in Kargil also build such a work. I know that this Muslim area is larger than Ladakh, there is no help for the disabled, and I had thought often about how we could probably help. For us, it is a matter of impossibility for our workers to cover this large area. In the Staff Meeting after the opening ceremony we discussed this request and decided to offer these senior men from Kargil following proposal: They should select two women with an interest in this work and a certain education level and send them for a half year us to Leh. They can help us at work and learn by doing. This would be a useful beginning, ideas to further action will follow in the future.

The guest left, we cleaned up and brought the children home. Our volunteers and staff celebrated the successful day until late into the night, for me was just the relaxing bed in question. We are all very happy about this great celebration and positive feedback.

Pictures