Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) has distributed sewing machines to the trainees who have successfully received training from Madhab Memorial Vocational Training Institute of the organisation.

Seven persons were given sewing machines at a program in the Dining Hall on the 13^th of January, 2010.

Executive Director of CRP Md Emdad Moslem, Senior Human Resources Officer Mohammad Manirul Islam, Assistant Human Resources Officer Shaila Parvin, Communication and Publication Officer Mohammad Rahisul Haque Rois and Assistant Social WorkerTahmina Yesmin Tuli were among others present on the occasion. Ramesh Chandra Halder, Coordinator of Madhab Memorial Vocational Institute conducted the program. Jahangir Alam, Rana Dewan, Amina Begum, Jamal Hossain, Mohammad Abdul Khaleque, Lutfa Begum and Lutfa Akter were given the sewing machines. Training Instructer Veronica Baroi urged the recipients of the sewing machines to continue practice after going back home in order to make them self reliant.   

Executive Director Emdad Moslem advised them to effect the acquired knowledge from the training and sewing machines in their professional lives.    

Delegates from Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) visited the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) on December, 29, 2009 in order to inspect the various activities of the organisation and share their expertise.

Md. Delwar Hossain, Rector of PATC led the eleven members delegation. Tahmina Akther, Director; Sabiha Parveen, Director; Hamida Begum, Director; Mohammad Rezaul Karim, Assistant Director, Md. Azizul Haque, Assistant Director, ASM Obaidullha, Assistant Director, Md. Sabet Ali, Assistant Director, Mohammad Mahbubul Alam Majumder, Assistant Director of BPATC were present on the occasion.

Valerie A Taylor, Founder and Coordinator of the organisation welcomed the delegates warmly. Executive Director Emdad Moslem presented the key features of CRP to the delegates.

They praised the on going services of the organisation and expressed their firm determination to extend all-out cooperation for the progress of CRP with a view to ensuring equal excess of the physically challenged people to the main stream of the society.  Valerie A Taylor thanked the delegates for sharing mutual experiences. Md. Delwar Hossain presented crest to her. Later, they visited different departments of CRP. Publication Officer Mohammad Rahisul Haque Rois and Advocacy and Networking Officer Zinat Afroze were also present in the program.

Nasima Begum
Nasima Begum, a 30 year-old married woman of Dumuria district of Khulna Division was admitted to CRP on Nov. 11th, 2008 at which time she was found to have a pressure sore as well as paralysis.  She is paraplegic because of an accident at her home several months ago.  She is also a victim of persistent domestic abuse from her husband.  When she was first admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis as well. Nasima has a 12 year-old son and a 2 ½ year-old daughter. Her family situation is very disturbing because of disputes over money.
At CRP, Nasima is responding well to treatment and care but she will require surgery.  Her father is not able to contribute any money towards her
treatment costs.  Please consider financial support for Nasima.

Mina Begum
Mina Begum is a 22 year-old single mother from Tangail,  now receiving treatment at CRP, Savar.  She is paraplegic as a result of Transverse Myelitis. Her formerly happy family has been torn apart because of disagreements about her care. Delays in proper attention resulted in pressure sores which are gradually responding to treatment at CRP.   Her husband has gone abroad for work and is neither maintaining contact with Mina nor providing financial support for her and her 18-month old son.  She will need a great deal of support during her treatment and rehabilitation and to prepare her for her future as a paralysed person.

This profile is about the four daughters of Mr. Doziruddin & Mrs. Tahura Begum from Tharkurgaon in
Bangladesh. These four are Parvin, Yesmin, Minu and Banu who each have a physical disability. Their lives are full of tragedy. They have faced enormous difficulties in their daily living due to their poor family condition and social attitudes. Their lower limbs became paralysed for an unknown reason fifteen years ago, resulting in isolation from social activities. Now they are receiving treatment at CRP as outpatients. 

Doziruddin is a day labouror and Tahura Begum is a housewife. They have seven daughters and one son. Due to a financial crisis, Doziruddin abandoned his wife and children in the village ten years before. Tahura is maintaining her family by hard labour. During childhood, Parvin, Yesmin, Minu and Banu were as other children. After completing primary education, they left their study. One of the leading bangla newspapers published an article on the lifestyle of these four sisters and current situation of their family on16 September 2007. After hearing about the family, Mr.Mizanur Rahaman, Chairman, Al-amin group, a kindhearted businessman of the county, visited CRP and discussed how he could help this family. After discussion with CRP’s Social Welfare department, Mr.Rahaman has agreed to bear the expenses of treatment and rehabilitation costs of these four sisters. CRP’s social worker conducted a home visit and arranged to bring them to CRP. 

Parvin, Yesmin, Minu & Banu came to CRP on October 2007. According to the diagnosis, Yesmin has Myopathy & Scoliosis; Banu has Tetraplegia due to severe Kyphoscolosis; Minu has Myopathy & Parvin has Myopathy and Scoliosis. After receiving treatment of two months, their conditions have improved notably. They are using Special Seats produced at CRP’s Special Seating Unit, which provides them more postural support for their individual needs. Among them, Banu can walk with support.  

Like Mr.Rahaman, if others who are financially sound will extend their kind support to the poor disabled people in the country, they will get opportunity for improved quality of life.   

Panna Akter is 15 years old girl from karimganj under Kishorganj district in Bangladesh. She has come to CRP as she was injured by falling down in the slippery area in the river. She was admitted at CRP on 5 September 2007. CRP’s doctor diagnosed her TB spine. At present she is receiving treatment under the supervision of CRP’s Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT). 

Panna’s father Bachchu Mia is a day labour and mother Asma Begum is a housewife. Due to the poor financial condition Panna stopped her study when she was the student of class three. She is very eye-catching and loved to play with her friends. Her favourite hobby is to watch television programme. She has two brothers and one sister. 

Her house is at the bank of the river. One day when Panna went to take bath in the river she had fallen down by slipping foot at the area of the river. After injury she got admitted at kishorgonj SadarHospital, due to the serious condition doctor referred her to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.  

Now her condition is improving notably and doctor hope that she would be able to walk independently in future. Her treatment at CRP is like that of many other desperately poor people in Bangladesh entirely supported by donations.

With the assistant of World Health Organisation (WHO) Bangladesh Health Professions Institute (BHPI), the academic institute of CRP organised a three day long training programmee on ‘Nursing Management on Spinal Cord Injury and its Prevention of Secondary Complecation’ at CRP-Savar from 28 th May 2007. 

Presided over by Captain Khariuddin Barket(Retd), Principle, BHPI , Dr. Aminul Haque, Director, SCDP,was the chief guest and Zahanara Begum, Deputy Director, Nursing Service was the special gust on the inaugural session .CRP’s founder Valerie A Taylor delivered the welcome speech on the proramme. 

Among others Mr. Albert Mollah, CEO (Acting), Dr. Fazlul Hoque, Director, Health Services, Abdus Salam, Director, Rehabilitation were present at the programme. 

At the tender age of six, sportive Ibrahim was playing football with his playmates. One of his playmates pushed him down to the ground and as a consequence Ibrahim got injured and then he was taken to Comilla Sadar Hospital. There, the physician referred him to the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP). He got admitted at CRP on 29th August 2006. Ibrahim is the youngest child out of five children of Md. Abdur Rahim and Roksana Begum. And he comes from Burirchang in Comilla. 

Ibrahim’s two legs were paralysed when he was admitted to CRP and had a spinal problem since his birth. CRP’s Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy department adopted different ways to help cure Ibrahim’s disability. Under their treatment, he can now walk a short distance using a walking frame and can perform all Activities of Daily Living (ADL) using a wheel chair. 

Young Ibrahim plays Ludo at CRP, though his favorite game is still football. He likes beef and rice very much. Ibrahim is very satisfied with the services of CRP, provided to him, and follows the rules and discipline of CRP. Now he passes his time at CRP recalling the sweet memories of his playtime and playmates. Ibrahim wishes to be a physician in future. CRP’s physicians strongly hope and believe that he will be able to walk independently in the very near future.     

Shahnaz Begum, a 40 year old women, suffered Traumatic Paraplegia after falling from the roof of her own rented house. She became paralysed from the waist down. She is from the village of Keranigonj Upazilla (sub district). Before her accident she worked as a maidservant at different houses. Her only son of 18 years is a day labourer.
Shahnaz informed CRP that she fell from the roof while hanging out clothes to dry. The roof had no railing and it was an old construction. Prior to coming to CRP she was treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. After receiving 14 days treatment there she was referred to CRP. Shahnaz, came to CRP in February 2004 and last week she was discharged after receiving two and half months treatment and rehabilitation here. CRP’s Occupational Therapy Department taught her to use a low trolley for her mobility, which enabled her to be independent around her home and in her village. A low trolley is a very useful and comfortable mobility aid especially for Bangladeshi rural areas for doing household work and other tasks at ground level.

Professor Jahanara Begum, Advisor of Primary and Mass Education, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh visited CRP on 28th November 2005. CRP’s Managing Trustee Mr. CM Shafi Sami and Coordinator Valerie A. Taylor welcomed her to CRP. She first visited the CRP’s inclusive school, William and Marie Taylor School, and spent some time with the children. She enjoyed a cultural programme organised by the children of the school. The new building of the Inclusive School opened in January 2005. This building houses both the school for children of CRP staff members and CRP’s Special Needs School. The building has been designed to create an inclusive environment where disabled children can attend the same school as other children and have access to the same standards of education.