2008 Finalist Projects

Independence Day

She Hope Society - India

She Hope Society is bringing dignity and independence to the disabled in war-torn Kashmir.

Two decades of conflict in Kashmir have left a dearth of basic services. The disabled, in particular, have precious little support. "We don't have big donors and we don't have any government help over here to rehabilitate disabled children", explains 27-year-old physiotherapist Sami Wani. Social factors such as poverty and prejudice add to the problem.

Seeing the plight of Kashmir's disabled, Sami set up the She Hope Rehabilitation Centre with help from a New Zealand charity. The Centre offers physiotherapy and corrective surgery - as well as simple yet effective technologies such as the low-cost prosthetic legs pioneered by World Challenge 2007 finalist MEND.

She Hope also provides basic education and micro-loans to give its patients a leg-up onto the next rung of independence. In just two years of operation the Centre has helped some 700 disabled people - and Sami has big plans to start another centre in a more remote area of Kashmir.