Overcoming Obstacles and Adversity in Life: Uncle Kim’s Story
Ng Kim Loong, affectionately known as “Uncle Kim”, contracted polio when he was 3 years old and was left paralysed from the hips down. Despite that, he never saw it as a disability, due in part to his friends and family treating him as an equal growing up. Unable to find permanent work, Uncle Kim […]
Cooking with a Disability: Mardiana’s Story
Life as a disabled person in Indonesia is not easy. Mardiana, who suffers from spine abnormalities, was the object of constant ridicule and was made to believe that her disability was a curse. This greatly affected her self-esteem and she struggled to find her place in the community. It was the support from her parents […]
The Strength To Succeed: One Woman’s Story Of Resilience And Courage
As a single mother to 5 small children, Salbiah Abdul Hamid was in a constant state of fear whether she would be able to take care of her family. She was barely keeping her head above water as it is when things took a turn for the worse and she was diagnosed with spinal injury following […]
Resilience And Tenacity Through The Toughest Of Times: Maribeth’s Story
When Maribeth Galleta’s husband walked out on her, she was devastated by the betrayal and terrified at the thought of raising 3 small children on her own. Having been a housewife for close to 10 years, domestic life is all she has ever known. There were days she wanted to shut herself from the world, […]
Growing Through Pain And Suffering: Buavone’s Story
Shortly before her fifth birthday, Buavone Muthavong fell terribly sick. Like so many other poor Laotians, her family was left with two options: wait for the ailment to ‘go away’ on its own or seek alternative ways of treating the illness since getting treatments from the hospital would be too costly. As her condition grew […]
Rising Above By Lifting Others: Mary Anne’s Story
Growing up, Mary Anne Sagao of Taguig City, Philippines showed an affinity for entrepreneurship which translated into her running several businesses from e-loading (sale of phone credits) to selling liquid soaps by the time she reached adulthood. Then in 2018, she was diagnosed with relapsing polychondritis and received news that she had a small tumour […]
Embracing The Uncomfortable: Remington’s Story
Remington remembers feeling “10 feet tall and bulletproof,” he said of his life as a young man. “I dabbled in recreational sports and especially enjoyed riding my motorcycle.” That active lifestyle came to an abrupt halt, however, when he was injured in a motorcycle accident at the age of 25. He was released from the […]
A Woman’s Journey Towards Claiming Her Right to Life
Full Name: Vilma UrtulaCountry: PhillippinesLocation: Manila Batch No.: Pilot, Batch 2Date Trained: 18 – 20 January 2017Disability: Orthopedic disability due to polioBusiness: Sells perfume, dishwashing liquid, fabric conditionerAverage Monthly Income Before: PHP 300Average Monthly Income After: PHP 6,000 Growing up in a community where being different is frowned upon, Vilma struggled to find her voice. She grew up at the receiving end of insults […]
Paving Way-back from Victim to Becoming the Head of the Family
Full Name: Dandik Budi PrastyoCountry: IndonesiaLocation: Bogor Batch No.: Phase 2, Batch 7Date Trained: 1 – 3 November 2017Disability: Paralysed on the right side of his bodyBusiness: SnacksAverage Monthly Income Before: IDR 2,000,000Average Monthly Income After: IDR 6,000,000 Dandik graduated from Brawijaya University with a mechanical engineering degree in 2005. While he was leading a simple, normal life with his family from his first marriage, […]
When a Mother Championed Over Her Limitation for The Sake of Her Children Education
Full Name: SuhartiCountry: IndonesiaLocation: Yogyakarta Batch No.: Pilot, Batch 4Date Trained: 10 – 12 August 2016Disability: Limping on left legBusiness: TailoringAverage Monthly Income Before: IDR 500,000Average Monthly Income After: IDR 2,000,000 Suharti is a young mother aged 35, with 2 beautiful children. She and her husband live with her parents in a village in Bantul, Yogyakarta and where both her children attend school. She used […]