Journeys to democracy

A small car with a big task

Calling all those interested in post-disaster care, spinal injury, Southasian connectivity, people-to-people contact, VW Beetles…! 

Kanak Mani Dixit, a journalist (Editor of Himal Southasian) and civil rights activist, made a near-miraculous recovery from a spinal injury received during a trekking accident in Nepal.

Kanak being arrested at a pro-democracy rally in Nepal, 2006. Photo by Shehab Uddin

Being Kanak, he threw his considerable energy and vision to launch a Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Nepal, inaugurated in 2002 by none other than the late, great Sir Edmund Hillary (facebook page SpinalNepal; twitter: @spinalnepal).

Kanak’s latest attempt to raise funds for the project as well as build linkages with like-minded institutions in Southasia is: The Great Nepal-India-Pakistan Spinal Beetle Rally
A fundraising drive across SouthAsia for spinal injury rehabilitation
USD 100 per mile, a journey of 1100 miles
Starting Nov 4, 2011: Kathmandu-Lucknow-Delhi-Amritsar-Lahore-Rawalpindi-Peshawar

Details >>…

The Journey: Our 1973 model VW Beetle will start its journey from Kathmandu Valley on 4^th of November 2011. Coming down to the plains, it will enter Uttar Pradesh and reach Lucknow. Westward to Delhi, it will arrive at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC). Travelling along the Grand Trunk Road, it will pass Amritsar and the Wagah-Atari border to Lahore and its Mayo Hospital. We will then take the M-1 motorway to Rawalpindi / Islamabad, and end our journey at the Paraplegic Centre in Hayatabad Peshawar on November 14^th (Note: Kanak has been wanting to help spinal injury patients in Pakistan since the Kashmir earthquake of 2005 but until now did not get the requisite permissions. Here’s hoping for more cross-border cooperation)

Why the Adventure: The sudden rise of the number of patients over the last year has forced us to raise our service from 39 beds to 51. This has led to an unexpected financial crunch. The rally will help meet the challenge of growth even as we make plans for sustainability.

One More Reason: The Spinal Beetle Rally is also an effort to raise awareness of spinal injury prevention, rescue, care and rehabilitation in the Subcontinent. In this effort, the Spinal Centre is assisted by ISIC, Delhi and the Paraplegic Centre, Peshawar.

Shanta Dixit

The Rallyists: The Spinal Beetle will be driven by journalist and civil rights activist Kanak Mani Dixit, Founder Chairman of the Spinal Centre Nepal. He will be accompanied by Shanta Dixit, board member and educationist. It was Kanak’s trekking accident a decade ago, resulting in a broken spine, which led to the establishment of the Spinal Centre.

Done it Before Twice: Kanak has driven the Spinal Beetle Kathmandu-Dhaka, in 2004 and 2007, to generous response.

Support and Sponsorship: The Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in Delhi is 540 miles from Kathmandu. The final destination, the Paraplegic Centre in Peshawar is 1100 miles away. Supporters are asked to sponsor the drive at the rate of USD 100 per mile, or any fraction or multiple of that amount. Payment details are given below. If you find the payment procedure cumbersome, please just pledge and we will revert.

Spinal Beetle and well wishers

About the Spinal Centre Nepal:

This money will help the Spinal Centre to put in place the awareness programs, the development of indoor treatment and follow up for Nepal’s spinally injured planed for 2012. It is an important year:

• we are celebrating our 10th anniversary
• we are growing from 39 beds to 51 beds
• we are heading towards official recognition by the Ministry of Health
• we are improving our therapeutical wards
• we are increasing awareness programs and follow up networks throughout Nepal

Inaugurated by Sir Edmund Hillary on April 2002, the Spinal Centre will be ten years old in 2012. Originally catering to patients from traditional accidents such as fall from trees and cliff-sides, spinal injury victims of ‘modern-day accidents’ related to construction, rock mining and traffic events are more and more filling our wards. We offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, medical care, counselling and home rehabilitation. We are also involved in prevention. The Spinal Centre is run by the non-profit Spinal Injury Sangha Nepal.

Jump in and donate your MILE! Send us the equivalent of USD 100, or more or less!

THREE ways to support the Spinal Beetle Rally:

1. Donate online on our webpage www.sirc.org.np : through our project partner Livability Ireland at the Biggive – free of charge!
2. Contact us: (if you want to hand out the money personally) kanakd@himalmag.com or spinalinju@wlink.com.np
3. Transfer money to our account:
Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre:
Current Account No.: 00501030250429
Nepal Investment Bank Ltd.
Banepa Branch
Kavre, Nepal
(Swift Code: NIBL NPKT) 

For more information contact:
Esha Thapa, Director, Spinal Centre Nepal
Tel: +977 11 660847/48
spinalinju@wlink.com.np
eshthapa@hotmail.com
www.sirc.org.np

 Spinal Beetle  –  a small car with a big task !

Filed under: Southasia | Tagged: beetle rally, dhaka, ISIC, Kanak Dixit, kashmir earthquake 2005, Lahore, lucknow, mayo hospital, new delhi, Parapalegic Centre, people-to-people contact, peshawar, post-disaster care, Shanta Dixit, south asia, Southasian connectivity, spinal care, spinal injury, VW Beetles |