My name is Guddu Panwar and I’m form smoll villeg call kolti in uttarkhund mussoorie and 26 age old and I am a disabilities rights activist based in New Delhi, India. I had spina bifida and am an amputee. i get around on a skateboard changed my life and I want to help others do the same.
Spina bifida is a birth defects such as spina bifida is among the highest in India, were the people are not aware of about spina bifiad
So lets talk about me and my life with skateboard and y I choose skateboard well as I already mention that I am amputee and I had spina bifida it was hard for me to go around I use to go around with my nee and I got very bed infection and my leg has to amputee after I went to the orphanage and I start grown up there there I got a wheelchair for going around but it was not comfortable for me and I left that and then there they mad for me wooden board to go around but that was more hard for me and true that I strat getting source by making hard time to rolling around that board finally I got one skateboard by my dr. who use to treatment me so one day he sai I have skateboard my san has its old so y don’t you try for it once and I said ok but I need something that can be easy for me to go around and smooth and fast this was I was looking for it and he said this will make you happy what you looking for it try it I said ok I can see and I try I was excited to what is it look like because I dident know what it was they taking about because I had nere hard this name ever in my life and what was it so when I saw it they brought for me and they pus its run so fast I said I this was I want to have and I was looking things like this so I sat on it and I pus its go so fast no treble to pus its go smoothly and good and comfortable and I had made my mind that I will like to use this things only so I start using this and frit time I use to fail down lot from this and litter I start being used to be so I made this skateboard in me as much accessible and I strat doing wth this everthing going in jungle and going in market and going in mountain and high places and raff places and many danger places where no one can able to make it and go faster then other people and play games and go small trek and do every thing I cu do it with it and then here in delhi I start doing marathon on it frist time in delhi and when I did this I fill so good to do this on skateboard marathon ever in India I gas world record ever in India I had never seen any one who is running with the skateboard I seen many people with wheelchair but non with skateboard I was the one who was running with skateboard and I realized this things I can tech other here in India as well same I am doing
othere are stays home alone during the day stayed inside all day, unable to go anywhere without assistance. they have no one who can help them how to do simple tasks on his own, like going to the bathroom.
And Eat by their self and go to bed and do their own do their staff by their on by skateboard, could go outside. change life
Skate board can change life its very simpl and very smooth and fast and comfortable to go anywhere any place stairs, small track, small path monition, jungle any were
(ETC)
My goal is now creat an NGO for those people and help them like I had larnd myself in me same thing I will like to tech others there was no for me in that time to tech me but today I am ready to tech who need me
My nonprofit NGO will focus on:
Raising awareness through social media, schools and to policy makers about the situation of people affected by spina bifida in India
Provide education and skills training to people with spina bifida focused on increasing their independence and knowledge about resources available to them
Through my NGO work here in Delhi, I’ve built a network of differently abled activists and ordinary people. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about my ideas and I will happily answer them.
How I will proceed?
– I will continue to work on the Facebook page, blog, YouTube channel, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles I’ve already created to inform people about spina bifida
– I will write an educational curriculum for my training sessions and contact people or health centers to join my courses
– I will rent space for providing training sessions in New Delhi
– I will document my training with a camera to show others on my social media accounts what I’m offering
– I will produce a small video of a training session
I work as an education development manager for Soulcial Trust where I manage disabilities projects. I’ve had spina bifida my entire life and I’m an amputee. I understand what people with disabilities go through, especially here in India where there are little resources for them. My goal is to support them.
I was born healthy, but with spine bifida. Spine bifida is a birth defect where there is incomplete closing of the backbone. During an operation my spinal cord had to be cut and I was unable to feel my body below the waist. I tried moving around on my knees, but got scratches, marks and wounds on my legs. Finally I got a bad infection on my right leg and it had to be amputated. At the time, my family couldn’t be with me. They were working, while I stayed at home alone. I felt like I was the only person in the world going through something like this.
I later moved to a home for children run by a nonprofit. There I had the chance to learn English and Hindi. My mother language is Gudavalli. I also learned craftwork, like stitching, to support myself.
In 2007, a miracle happened. I could feel my entire body again. I had been praying regularly at my church and lots of other people had been praying for me, too. I gained feeling back in my lower body and realized I wanted to help empower other disabled people.
Still, I was the only disabled person in the children’s home and felt isolated. Although people tried to stop me, I eventually decided to leave my small hometown and move hundreds of miles away to New Delhi. I had just 3000 rupees in my pocket, but I wanted to meet more disabled people and find new opportunities.
It worked.
Right now I work for a guesthouse in New Delhi that partners with a nonprofit for disabled people. Here I’ve gotten to know many disabled people and help them live independently. My next step is to start my own nonprofit focused on skills training for people with spina bifida and amputations. Read more information about my mission here.
Guddu Panwar 