Challenging the disability

Once this is done, they overcome disability and can start a new life.

This has been proved by Sabolomby Unnayan Samity (SUS-society for self-reliance), a local NGO, which treats and rehabilitates disabled people.

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Specialist doctors treat the disabled through physiotherapy at the SUS health centre at Netrakona town. Once cured, SUS trains them in various vocations and gives them loans for self-reliance.

Last year 116 physically disabled people were cured at the centre and 23 of them were given Tk 6000 loan each.

Schoolteacher Sankuri Sarker, 45, said his left leg and left hand along with the left side of his body became paralysed after a mild stroke. He is now leading a normal life following physiotherapy at the SUS centre.

Two legs of seven-year-old Suma Akhter became paralyed for unknown reasons. She can walk and play, her parents said.

The SUS launched its noble initiative in 1998 with 53 disabled people. Now, 643 people come to it regularly from different areas of the district for treatment of physical disability and training.

Of them, physical fitness is developing in 174, SUS officials told this correspondent during a recent visit.

They come to the health centre two days a week for physiotherapy as per advice of specialist doctors and nurses.

SUS has given tools including wheel chair to 38 disabled people free of cost.

Ninety-six disabled children are getting education along with therapy at the centre.

Its aim is to create confidence among the disabled, remove superstitions and wrong ideas about disability, create awareness about their rights in the society and to make them self-reliant by providing training on different vocations and loans.

SUS now runs its activities in 131 villages in five upazilas-- Netrakona Sadar, Atpara, Madan, Kendua and Purbadhala.

To create awareness, SUS men arrange community meetings, discussions on disability at educational institutions, meeting of guardians of the disabled persons and group theatre.

For better treatment, SUS has so far referred 53 patients to the CRP in Dhaka, Mymensingh Community Centre for Handicapped and Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

It trains the disabled in poultry, sewing, handicrafts making and rehabilitates them by providing loans.

SUS Executive Director Begum Rokeya said their efforts have created confidence among the disabled who visit the centre.

Confidence building and removing superstitions is the prime task, she said.

"A new life starts once a disabled person believes that the disability can be cured".

She said they are planning to expand its activity.