Dildar Ahmad
Founder President
Being an early orphan, Dildar Ahmad had a part-time job while pursuing graduation, and his hard work earned him the highest position next to the boss. Things were going well when on 5th Sep 1996 evening relative of his boss played a joke by pulling his hand, and on losing his balance, fell down and instantly lost the sensation and power below his ribs. Having no idea of injury, his friends took him to the local hospital, where he was referred to SKIMS, and for 45 days there, doctors could not decide what to do, and finally, he decided to leave the hospital voluntarily. Waiting for death for few years Dildar Ahmad finally decided to face the SCI and after taking loan and the amount he got through MACT started doing business and the paradigm shift was when he modified his car and in 2015 he became the first PwSCI in India to do the All India Spinal cord injury awareness drive when he drove his car for 24850 kms in 77 days throughout the length and breadth of India
Muzafar Nazir
General Secretary
Being an enthusiast of biking in Oct 2007, Muzafar Nazir was stopped by people who were cutting the trees on road side when he was going to the famous picnic spot of Kashmir - - - AHARBAL WATERFALL. When he was allowed to go, one of tree fell and hit him on the ground, leaving him unconscious. The site being 20 kms away from his residence was taken to the nearest hospital by local people, and by then, his family members reached and took him to Srinagar. Though he was hospitalized for months, like every other spinal injury, he could not regain the power to walk again. He lived the bedridden life for years, but his vision of Wheelchair life changed when Dildar Ahmad (president) and other PwSCI from the same Kulgam District, Aijaz Ahmad, visited him. On seeing Dildar Ahmad driving his modified car, Muzafar rejuvenated his grit and effort and got his car modified and never looked back after that.
Gurdeep Singh
Member Executive
After my spinal injury, life became very tough because all of a sudden, there was a U-turn, and life came to a standstill. It seemed as if everything came to a halt. Latter my family and friends were beside me and supported me, after getting physical rehabilitation and training in assistive devices from St. Stephen's Hospital, New Delhi, which encouraged me to bring my life back on track. It was the motivation and inspiration from two NGO's, HPVT and VMS (Srinagar), that today I am recognized for my contribution in the upliftment of PWDs (SCI) as a trainer of trainers and as a peer counselor trained by ICRC-Geneva and Motivation-UK.
Insha Bashir
Volunteer
Insha Bashir, captain of the current national women's basketball team J&K, met with an accident when she was studying in class 12th, which injured her spine at L1 vertebrae. This incident shattered her for a while, but she continued her studies on wheelchair. The paradigm shift in her life was when she was admitted to SHAFAQAT REHABILITATION CENTER in 2017, where she got rehabilitated physically and psychologically. The spark in her needed an impetus, which SRC provided, and then she never looked back. In those days, wheelchair basketball was introduced into the Valley, and on seeing the PwSCI playing wheelchair basketball, she jumped into the sea, and within no time, she gathered pace. In the same year, she went to Tamil Nadu and participated in national level championship. Having good communication skills, she rose to the international level and represented India in the US in 2019. From a small village to the US, Insha has featured in a lot of prizes and awards, and the prominent one being presented by Kiren Rijuji. Cutting across the gender barrier, Insha is an example of strength, courage, and grit.
Sajad Ahmad
Secretary
Sajad Ahmad from Distt Kulgam would have never thought that his life would go on wheelchair post June 2015 when he fell from the roof. Instantly, he was taken to Srinagar for hospitalisation, where he came to know about his spinal injury. He was shocked to know that he could not walk again, and being married, he had tremendous apprehensions about his family life. Tough gets going is an apt statement describing Sajad's life, and today he is not only living his own wheelchair life but helping other PwSCI to live a trouble-free, independent, and meaningful wheelchair life.
Ab Rehman
Convenor
Ab Rehman was living his happiest moments of life as he was recently married, and in Sep 2013, he climbed up the willow tree to cut some branches. Unfortunately, he lost his grip and could not manage to stabilize himself and fell from branch to branch, and finally he was on the ground, shocked, frustrated, and out of ideas as he could not feel his body down the ribs. Being the only son of his parents, his family members, cousins, and neighbors rushed to the spot, took him to the hospital, but had no idea what had happened to him. After months of treatment, Ab Rehman realised the unfortunate truth of his life post the accident and vowed to live the wheelchair life happily, and today he is one of the key members of the organisation.
Mohd Rafee
Project Manager
Born as a handsome boy in a magnificent family, Mohd Rafee was one of the intelligent students of his school when he developed a benign tumour on his face and was surprised to know that he had to live with it forever. Accepting the disability boldly, he continued his school life and had no idea that another disability was about to knock on his door. In May 2010, when they were building the roof of their house, he too was assisting the carpenters and all of a sudden lost his balance while sitting on the wooden framework and fell down on the concrete floor of his terrace. Living in Lawaypora on the outskirts of Srinagar city, he got the immediate hospitalisation, but like other such persons, he too could not overcome the injury and was rendered to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However, his unique mental presence, and with the help of Shafaqat Rehabilitation Centre, Bemina Srinagar, he opted for an active wheelchair life. He's the player of the Jammu and Kashmir wheelchair basketball team and has a good name among the wheelchair basketball players of India. Not only is he living a meaningful wheelchair life, but he also played a key role in the compilation of a database of persons with spinal cord injury (PwSCI) in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, along with Muzafar Nazir (vice-president).
Arif Ahmad
Treasurer
Being a bright student in his area, Arif Ahmad was pursuing his graduation, and like every student from unprivileged families, he was so keen and eager to complete his graduation, thereby supporting his family financially. Arif would've never thought his life would take such a turn when he climbed a walnut tree to fetch some walnuts. Arif says he couldn't remember what happened as he lost his balance, fell, and instantly sustained the biggest disability called spinal cord injury. He was taken to the hospital, and after days, there Arif Ahmad realized something serious had happened to him as he had lost the Power and control of his body below the thoracic cage. Finally, he came to know that the spinal cord injury is irreversible and a permanent disability, and he began to think of his second life on wheelchair. Arif was lucky to see some wheelchair users from our group, and he was quick to redesign and reorient his life. He not only completed his graduation on wheelchair but also began to educate the young children of his locality and earned a respectable name and fame. It was the time when the Care Foundation was being formed, and Arif played his part in getting the registration of the organisation. Arif Ahmad took an active and optimistic approach to life and accepted his disability very early, and today he is living an active, meaningful, and dignified life on wheelchair, running his business and being an active member of Care Foundation.
John Mohd Bhat
Member Executive
John Mohd from Kandipora was in his ninth class when an unfortunate accident changed his life in 2022. The road in his village was bumpy and full of potholes, but John Mohd used to go up and down many times in a day. On this day, unfortunately, John Mohd lost control of his bike and fell into one of the potholes, and instantly lost the sensation of his body below the rib cage. He was taken to the hospital, but John Mohd finally realised that something serious had happened as, despite surgery and physiotherapy, he couldn't regain the power of his lower body. He finally came back home and began to think of his life on wheelchair. His mental toughness enabled him to accept the disability, and the turning point was when he modified his wagon-R and began to roam around. Today, he's a successful govt contractor and every day prepares himself and goes to his work with the wheelchair in his car. He is one of the few PwSCI from Jammu and Kashmir who are living a successful, dignified, and meaningful life.