Feature Article: Hand in Hand There are more that 100 million active landmines and 30,000 landmine related amputees around the world, many with little to no medical care to assist them in their daily living. Luckily, one organization, Helping Hands Program Australia has reached out and literally lent a hand. Helping Hands Program or commonly known as Build A Hand Activity is a corporate team building activity which allows its participants to… You guessed it, build hands! Unlike the traditional types of team building activities, Helping Hands is different. They bring participants on a journey to experience and empathize with victims of landmines and through this, instill lasting values within each participant. With this, every person that …show more content…
These hands that are built will be shipped to countries around the world where it is most needed. The Helping Hands Program provide more than just an activity but also an outlet which engages every participant to feel empowered in making a real and lasting contribution to the world. To engage Helping Hands to come to your company, you would only need to send an email and pay a small fee for the cost of the hands. Let the building begin! Helping Hands arrives at your workplace and provides the necessary tools for building a workable prosthetic hand. In an interview with Helping Hands Program founder Matt Hendricks, he said that “Our purpose is really straightforward: everyone can and should try to make a difference to the world.” He also shared with us how Helping Hands was formed. An industrial designer Ernie Meadows lost his daughter to a car accident and since then, he has dedicated the project of building prosthetic hands for children and adolescent who are landmine victims. The hand that he created, the LN-4, was then given to rotary clubs which have supported and funded the parts for creating the …show more content…
However, it is still a shame that many do not know of the travesty that is landmine victims that live amongst us. One country that has been on the receiving end of the program is Cambodia. Cambodia is plagued with landmines for many years and it is still a very current and serious problem. When he visited Cambodia, Matt Hendricks said “it was an extraordinarily moving experience” for him. It is a country that is stricken with a lot of problems that not many around the world are aware of. What moved Hendricks was when he fitted a young boy who spent his family’s wages of two months traveling alone to the fitting center for his prosthetic hand. In urban countries like Singapore, it is a rare sight to see a child travelling alone, let alone with a disability. When the young boy was fitted for his hand, he was able to pick up a pen to write and draw. Now, that is a sight you’d never forget! The best part about the Helping Hands Program is giving the simple gift of having a hand to someone who needs it. All of us take for granted the use of our hands. For example, here I am typing this article, not thinking about how someone at the other end of the world is having difficulties brushing their teeth or eating their food. With this program, the recipient will also receive a picture of the participants who helped gift him his hands. This fosters the emotional bond between
Mikkelson, Barbara. "Helping Hands." Snopes. 24 Mar 2003. Urban Legends Reference Pages. 09 Apr. 2006. www.snopes.com.
...has put these people there for a reason. You always think your problems are bad until you go and see others. These doctors make it possible for children to have all of their limbs. We have been blessed by this hospital.” (Rudder).
This news report assesses the effects of landmine explosion in the lives of Afghans and provides a detailed illustration of a case that happened in Lashkar Gah.
His aim was to in-crease amputees’ confidence in the use of their prosthetics and their mental attitude. He recruited 100 volunteer amputees and put them through the programme. The results sug-gested that he achieved his aim he noted improvements in the physical and mental well-being of the volunteers. They also gained confidence in using their prosthetic which aided their recovery. Their mental well-being was particularly important as it was noted that a positive mental attitude and acceptance of the prosthetic resulted in a quicker recovery time (Dillingham, T.R., 1998).
Reach Out WorldWide (“ROWW”) was started by a group of 6 men in California. They who flew to Haiti and volunteered to help in whatever way they could after a massive earthquake devastated the country on January 12, 2010. While working in Haiti as medical aid volunteers the group recognized the need for skilled people, supplies and urgency for a faster response when natural disasters strike. After returning to the United States from Haiti the 6 men, Lucas Wimer, Paul Walker, Jesse Brisendine, Dave Marquez, Christian Urzua and John Cloughton formed ROWW. The foundation of the organization was built upon the experiences they had while in Haiti. ROWW was born from a simple idea which recognized the need for an immediate response to people in need and; that by working together they could make a difference. "You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” is a quote by John Bunyan that the founders of ROWW each believe.
The joys of helping someone can lead some to a career in the police force or a job as a firefighter. Or the love of learning about medicine and or the
Providing advocacy and support to survivors and their allies through a coordinated community response effort” (Think S.A.F.E).
Thus my passion for helping others stems from a tender age of five. From that age, I always exercised helping people by sharing my snack to those in need. That need grew rapid throughout my days of Primary and Secondary school where I haven’t only shared my snack, but I also bought snacks for those in need, assisted disable kids to write, open their snack or to use the washroom facility. My nickname then was Mother Theresa. I also became a peer counselor in high school to assist those that were hurting, abused or neglected. Not only to provide them with a listening ear, but to encourage and motivate them. To help them realize that their current situation is not their final destination and they are the ones that can control what lies ahead of them. Putting a smile on other people’s faces brought me tremendous joy. As a result, I still have that dying need to assist others out there. To show them that there is still hope in humanity, still, hope for a vigorous life and to help them reach their maximum potential in
Gifted Hands is the story of the world famous Pediatric Neurosurgeon, Ben Carson. The book tells of Carson’s journey from the bottom of his fifth grade class to his current position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In his autobiography Carson explains how a strong faith in god, and the help of an extremely strong mother, he was able to overcome not only the doubts of his classmates and teachers but also the doubts of his own intelligence, and turn his life around.
Some such technologies include reproductive technologies designed to see and care for mothers and fetuses prior to birth, physical prosthetics to aid with average daily motion, and machines designed to aid quality of life. While, from the outside, all of these may seem like helpful and important advancements, by examining how individuals use and interact with these technologies, we can evaluate the value of their use and potential consequences. Specifically considering the topic of body modification, this can mean several things, from Cochlear Implants to reconstructive surgery. Body modification is important to consider because one’s sense of embodiment “shifts over time or by context (Kafer 4).” While this quote specifically applies to disability, it’s used here to further emphasize how something as large as surgically changing one’s body can impact how they see themselves, and change that sense of self more permanently than temporary use of the aforementioned technologies. While having similar takes on the idea of body modification, and its effects on embodiment, both theories ultimately approach the subject slightly
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been the first nations, which represented the whole Australian population, for centuries. However, the continuous European colonization has severely affected these peoples and, over the decades, their unique values and cultures, which enriched the life of Australian nation and communities, were not respected and discriminated by numerous restrictive policies. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have turned into the voiceless minority of the Australian population. Fortunately, in recent years, these issues became the concern of the Australian government, promoting a slight improvement in the well being of native Australians. Nowadays, there are numerous social work
When we sacrifice our time to help someone in need, whether it is a great or small need, we become a part of their life and can help alleviate heavy burdens. We feel good for looking outside ourselves and contributin...
Ensuring that all members of society are taken care of and are treated respectfully is crucial to ensuring the well being of society as a whole. To say that those less fortunate should be left to fend for themselves, or that it is not our responsibility as citizens and responsible members of society to assist those in need of help is simply selfish. How would you feel if you were the one in need of assistance? We the people that make up society must contribute our time, resources and effort to help others who are less privileged and more susceptible to sickness due to their living conditions and the situation that they are stuck in. Ultimately, society stands to benefit when we take care of those members of society that are in need of shelter, food, financial assistance etc. Furthermore, in doing so, we are also keeping our community safe by eliminating the need for those less fortunate to turn to crime as a way to feed themselves and their family. One can only be pushed so far until self-preservation becomes the most important factor to a person, thus pushing those who are hungry to resort to stealing, robbing and other such crimes to survive.
Helping Hands has helped my family in the past. Several years ago my family was struggling with income and Helping Hands was generous enough to help us pay our electric bill. I chose to volunteer at Helping Hands because I wanted to give back to the program. At the time, it seemed like there was little value in sorting piles of toys but then the manager shared with me that many children would be very happy to receive these toys for Christmas. This one comment helped me to put it all into perspective. Volunteering isn’t about me; it is about playing an active in the community. Bringing joy to families who are suffering, giving hope to the hopeless.
Helping consists of four parts, those being; (1) an individual seeking help, (2) an individual that is willing to help those seeking help, (3) the helping individual is competent and skilled enough to train, and (4) an environment that is conducive for help to be given and received.