Jamnagar Viklang Mela 2010

The success of the Viklang Melas organized by Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust with the active  support and assistance of the local Government authorities in Bhavnagar (Palitana-28,549 beneficiaries), Banaskantha (16,798 beneficiaries) and Patan (21,513 beneficiaries) continued at Jamnagar which would easily be the largest project of its kind in the world having rehabilitated 31,330 beneficiaries.

To outreach to the maximum number of beneficiaries and offer facilities nearest to their place of residence the Viklang Mela was organized at four locations within the district-Khambaliya, Lalpur, Jamnagar and Dwarka from the 15thto the 30thof December, 2010. The viklangs were mobilized through networking with anganwadi workers, village sarpanchs, local community leaders and NGOs.

Prof. Vasuben Trivedi, Hon Minister for Women and Child development, Government of Gujarat blessed the project at an impressive function in Jamnagar on 25thDecember, 2010.Also present were senior members of the Oshwal community of UK who have not only contributed funds for the project but have also come personally to give their time and effort for this humanitarian cause.

Polio affected children received custom made calipers and amputees got made to measure artificial limbs. Tricycles, wheelchairs, ortho splints/braces and crutches were distributed on a need based assessment by prosthetic engineers ofthe trust. Adequate facilities were created at the camp site itself for the fabrication/fitting of the aids and appliances so that a viklang who came in the morning could walk out on his own by early evening.

Public Private partnership model and the unstinted support of the District Collector and other officials contributed to its grand success. Beneficiaries eligible for aids and appliances under the Central and State Government schemes got the same in the camps and those not eligible were assisted by the trust so that no beneficiary was left unattended.

The hearing impaired underwent an audiology test in the trust’s mobile van and given an appropriate hearing aid. A simple hearing aid for a school child or an elderly person helped change their lives completely-the child can now attend school and the elderly person can interact with his family and peers.