Re: Announcement : ISPO Conference Cancun Mexico / NGO in Central Africa to Help the Disabled Requires Assistance

Re: Announcement : ISPO Conference Cancun Mexico / NGO in Central Africa to Help the Disabled Requires Assistance

Tony Barr

2/6/2007

The Barr Foundation would like to thank the ISPO membership for allowing us
to participate in their recent conference, Reaching Beyond Our Borders
held in Cancun, Mexico Feb 1-3 .
 
We enjoyed sharing discussion and distributing complimentary copies of the
new Amputee Survival Guide (Spanish edition) with the many
providers,manufactures, and other NGOs we met there.
 
We would also like to thank our ad sponsors who made generous donations for
the Spanish ASG publication :
 
Limbs of Freedom and Rotary Clubs of Coronado California and Club Rotario
Ensenada Calafia
Fundauniban Exports and Imports
Euro-International / Streifeneder
ErtlReconstruction.com
Fundacion Mi Sangre
Ortho Pro Associates,Inc.
FYFFES
 
 
We have been recently approached for help by another NGO.The STeP UP
organization, < <URL Redacted>> www.stepup.st in Central Africa to
solicit for providers and assistance for training locals to become
prosthetists and in the fabrication of wheel chairs and crutches for
amputees and the handicapped in this region.
 
Unfortunately, our organization is currently unable to help more in Africa
since there are many more challenges to overcome in order to obtain
sustainability in this region than we have encountered in assisting amputees
in the USA, Mexico, Central and South American countries, where we currently
and primarily focus our work in our initiative Amputees of the Americas
First.
 
The Barr Foundation has had or continues on going programs and providing
financial support, for amputee assistance with Range Of Motion Project in
Ecuador, San Felipe Hospital in Honduras, Asociación Camino al Futuro in
Peru ,Limbs of Freedom and Project PROJIMO in Mexico, Smiles Are Forever in
Bolivia, Healing Hands of Haiti, Barr / Faro Fundacions at University
St.Vicente de Paul Hospital ,Handicap International and Orthopraxis LTDa in
Medellin, Columbia and the Fundacion Mi Sangre , also based in Columbia
 
Having just returned from Mexico, learning more about ISPO, and joining
their membership, perhaps ISPO and/or ICRC would be willing to coordinate an
effort on these small islands off Central Africa, with Mr. Seligman and
utilizing the ICRC new prosthetic and affordable poly pro technology
there.
 
If any O&P subscribers can assist Mr. Seligman on how to reach his objective
, please contact him directly at his below e-mail address with your
suggestions.
 
As always we invite and thank all of the subscribers,donors and sponsors
for their participation in our efforts.
Thank you,
Tony
Anthony T. Barr
President
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
www.ErtlReconstruction.com < <URL Redacted>>

Dear Barr Foundation,
My name is Ned Seligman and I run a non-governmental organization, STeP UP,
in Sao Tome e Principe, 2 islands off the coast of Central Africa (see
< <URL Redacted>> www.stepup.st for more information on us). I am
handicapped (since 2004) and was given your name by the man who made my
prosthetics in San Francisco, Wayne Konuik CP and Barr Foundation director .
 
My reason for writing you is to ask if you make grants for the training of
local people in the fabrication and maintenance of prosthetic limbs and
devices like wheelchairs and crutches. We have group of handicapped people
here who could benefit from such an undertaking. They have selected 5
members who are very interested in such training. If you do make grants, do
you have a specific questionnaire or outline that we should follow in
writing up a request? If there is no specific set of questions to be
answered, may we instead send an unsolicited proposal.
   
 
Thank you very much,
Ned Seligman,
Director of STeP UP
<Email Address Redacted>
 < http://www.stepup.st/ > www.stepup.st