India project 2003

This link shows the original website of Indiaproject2003. Review on Indiaproject 2004

Esther Blom, Girolanda Costa Ramos, Jan Willem de Joode, Tom Kalkman and Annelies Verheij



We are five graduate Human Kinetic Technologists from the Netherlands. Upon graduating we decided to use our skills for the benefit of development work. We came in contact with Mr. Azad Khan, board member of the Friends Indeed foundation, who showed us a movie about the Maharshi Sambamurthy Institute. This movie inspired us to start a project. For this project we raised funds for one year to finance all our plans. We decided to do all the work as a free service. After one year all the preparations were done and we took the airplane to India. This article describes the activities that we carried out in those six months. We arrived in Kakinada in September 2003. The first month we spent most of the time preparing our work carefully. We set up a complete HKT workshop in the MSI. Part of the workshop equipment was sent over from the Netherlands. The other part, we purchased in India. Furthermore, we examined all the girls of the MSI one by one in order to get a proper idea of the work that needed to be done for the children.

HKT course
The most important goal of our project was to leave some of our knowledge behind. That is why we set up a five months Human Kinetic Technology Course. We selected a group of five enthusiastic students and started the education program in October. One student was the physiotherapist of the MSI. Two students came from TCPC, the governmental company where tricycles are being made. The other two students came from UMVK, a big organization for all kinds of handicapped people. During the following months we did three periods of classes. Every period the students had to do a practical assignment related to the classes given in this period. The main purpose was to teach them the problem solving strategy we learnt during our studies at The Hague University.

During period number one the students had to design and manufacture an adequate walking aid for the children of the MSI. During theoretical classes we taught for example about design processes, anatomy of the lower extremities and compensation mechanisms for the human body.

Period number two was aimed at the making of calipers. The practical assignment was to manufacture a well fitting long leg brace for one of the girls of the MSI. Classes were aimed at the different foot/leg deformities and how to solve related problems by using a caliper. We gave theoretical classes on anatomy of the lower extremities and physiology of the muscles. There were also practical classes in which the students had to examine patients and do range of motion tests.

The third period was about training facilities. The practical assignment was to make a small training device for the children to carry home. With this device the girls can stay in a good physical condition when they go home for holidays or after leaving school. During classes information was given on different subjects like anatomy, mechanical engineering and construction-science.

Design projects:
Besides preparing and giving classes we spent our time designing and manufacturing some products. Some of our students lent us a helping hand in doing this. We are very thankful for that!

SARdyna
One of the biggest problems we wanted to solve was the way the crippled girls moved around the MSI. Before, they were crawling, a painful and uneasy way of getting around. We decided to design them something to change this.

That is how we came to the design of the SARdyna (Slide-And-Ride-dynamite). This is an attractive and compact vehicle with a wheelchair propulsion system. For ease of climbing on and off the device we designed a special tilting system that functions as a brake at the same time. When a girl climbs on the device, she will put one hand on it. The SARdyna will tilt a little bit and two rubber bushes will touch the floor so that the device cannot move. Now she can climb on safely. We made eight copies of the SARdyna so that all of the crawling girls of the MSI will be able to get around easily. Driving the SARdyna is very easy and the girls enjoy this product a lot.



TigerTrike
After leaving the MSI the girls get a governmental tricycle. This tricycle is quite big and is much too heavy to drive for the girls. We designed a new smaller tricycle which can be propelled with two hands. This way the tricycle is twice as easy to drive. This first prototype can be used in the MSI. When all bugs are ironed out of the new design, we hope that more Tiger Trikes will be distributed.





Calipers
Most of the girls of the MSI are wearing calipers. As the girls grow the caliper will not fit anymore and it may even hurt. So calipers have to be revised regularly. We completely reshaped the shells and the frames and added extra support and a soft lining inside. We revised 15 calipers in the past period. We also made one pair of night splints for Ravi, a small boy from the neighborhood of the MSI.

Caliper stand
We designed and manufactured a special and safe caliper stand. This stand is placed in front of the dining hall so the children can hang their calipers before they go for lunch or dinner. Before, the calipers were kept in the physiotherapy hall on the second floor. So this stand saves the children an uneasy trip from the second floor.



Sandals
We designed and manufactured a pair of tailor-made sandals for one of the girls. These sandals compensate the difference in leg length and contain an insole for good foot support. We made the first prototype ourselves. Later on we invited a shoemaker to manufacture them for more girls. And the girls just "love" them!



Changes to the MSI building
On our advice a lot of changes are being made to the MSI house. Supports at the staircases and a concrete path between the MSI house was realized in the past months. In the sheds the girls spend their free time. Earlier there used to be soil between the sheds and the MSI house which caused some problems for the crawling girls. Besides that a small ramp is built from the path to the toilet buildings. Right now, handgrips for the toilets are being made.

Future of the HKT workshop
We are proud to inform you that P. Prasadarao, one of our students is going to continue our work. MSI decided to offer him a part-time job. He, as the Chief of the HKT workshop, will take care of the maintenance of all the projects. Besides that he will develop new products for the girls of the MSI and for handicapped people from outside the MSI.



Sponsoring
Financial support of the activities of Movendi Foundation can be sent to Postbank account 3034 of Movendi Foundation We'll keep you updated of the developments of through this website and e-mail. It's also possible to donate on-line (unfortunately only in Dutch so far), via the GeefGratis foundation. Movendi Foundation is registered with number 27280798 at the Chamber of Commerce in The Hague.