German Physiotherapists work with the Handicapped and teach Physiotherapy
to Locals in a newly-founded School
in Leh, Ladakh 

Karola and Jürgen Kostial came back from their first trip to Ladakh overwhelmed. There is so much to do with the disabled and no qualified personal to continue the work started. They themselves could not invest more than their entire vacation because of obligations to their job, family and the mortgage. That’s when they started writing articles in specialist journals and asked for physiotherapists, rehabilitation workers and aid-makers to come up to Ladakh and help.

KG newspaper 

The response was overwhelming: Shortly after the appearance of the articles it was possible to schedule volunteer workers without any break all the way into 2006. The therapists pay for their own flight, whereas food and accommodation is free, financed by the work of Ladakh-Help e.V., a non-profit organisation with the goal to support this work. The young men and women stay in Ladakh from 4 weeks up to 3 or 4 months. December 2004 will be the beginning of a new vocational training in physiotherapy for about 10-12 local trainees. Our German therapists will teach according to a curriculum that has been worked out together with the other parties involved. At the same time they will also work with the disabled children. Right now everything is being busily planned and prepared. 

She was picked up by Elisha Gergans staff at the airport and transported to a small but cosy apartment. The social workers of the Namgyal Institute took her to the disabled children. She worked with 30 children and wrote an explicit assessment and report of each one of them. Her successors will be able to continue on those premises without problems. She helped Elisha Gergan with the planning of the furnishing of the “Enablement Centre” and in preparation for the PhysioSchool was present at all the meetings held with our partners. 

Together with Monia Sulzauer, a visiting Physiotherapist, who helped for 10 days, they held a seminar for the social workers from the Namgyal Institute about the basics of physiotherapy. She used the last days of September and, together with the staff from the Namgyal Institute, she took a trek across the mountains to visit the disabled - a very exiting experience for her.  

On 18 September, her successor, Yvonne Weinmann, arrived in Leh in order to continue. For both volunteers this was their first trip to the Himalaya. Dorit’s experience in Ladakh can be summed up with the last words in her final report:

“It has been the most exiting time for me and I am grateful I was able to come here and learn so much. Since I was so close with the families I was able to learn incredibly much about their life, their religion, their cooking and their habits and about their history. I hope I was able to give them as much as they gave me. During this time I have learned a lot for myself and my life. For example, how again to share, to do without and to get along with less.” 

Yvonne Weinmann  

In October two physios from Guenzburg, Beate Rohr and Eva Hartmann, flew up to Ladakh. Right now they are busy preparing the school and treating the handicapped children. Boht will stay until shortly before Christmas. Another woman specialised in child-therapy, Verena Dorgeist, has just arrived in Leh (Nov. 25th). She will support the other two volunteers and stay all the way into February.

The calculation for accommodation, food and transport of our Physiotherapists for the Winter 2004/2005 adds up to the below mentioned amount. Elisha Gergan and his board are responsible for the organisation of the project and they have submitted the figures to pass on to the sponsors. Included in those amounts are one time purchases which will not have to be calculated next year.

Accommodation, food etc. for the German therapist teachers for winter 2004/2005 in Ladakh:

1. Wages cook for the winter               190 Euro

2. Wages translator + driver                        137 Euro

3. 3 kerosene heaters                                 709 Euro  (One-time investment)

4. Kerosene oil                                            490 Euro

5. Stationary, e-mail, photocopies               490 Euro

6. Kitchen equipment                                    91 Euro  (One-time investment)

7. Bedding/bed clothes                                185 Euro  (One-time investment)

8. Gas stove and cylinders                            91 Euro  (One-time investment)

9. Food items                                             490 Euro

10. Furniture                                               363 Euro  (One-time investment)

  Total of the above                             3236 Euro