Kamal Group brings New-Year smiles to hundreds in artificial limb project

Dar es Salaam. Over 100 people, who lost their limbs in various accidents, will now be able to walk again, thanks to a multi-million shilling initiative by the Dar es Salaam-based Kamal Group guided by India’s Bharat Vikas Parishad.

Through their Peoples’ Empowerment Foundation (PEF), institutions donated 108 artificial limbs to some Dar es Salaam residents at the weekend during a brief event that was graced by the Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment and Youth and the Disabled), Mr Anthony Mavunde.

“I don’t have anything to give back to Kamal Group but allow me to say, I am extremely delighted because after nine years, I will now be able to walk again,” said Ms Mwanaisha Mohammed.

Speaking during the event, the Kamal Group chairman, Mr Gagan Gupta said it was basing on its philosophy of growing with the community that the company launched the initiative of helping the people with disabilities three years ago.

“We have set up a special unit that manufactures these artificial limbs at Kamal Steel as a way of cutting costs associated with the making of the products….We are doing this for the third year and we will continue doing so,” he said, thanking the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Paul Makonda for bringing the disabled people together so they could get the limbs

In his remarks, Mr Mavunde acknowledged the wonderful contribution of PEF and Kamal Group to Tanzania’s social economic development and urged other companies to emulate.

“Through this Kamal Group is showing us that it is a good corporate citizen. If every company can emulate this, we in government will be happy with them. This will then give us an impetus to further improve the business climate,” he said.

He said the government will meet with Kamal Group officials with a view to designing the best way to ensure that the artificial limb project reaches all the needy Tanzanians across the country. Available data (help me with the source in line with your video clip) at least 3.6 million Tanzanians have various forms of disabilities. Out of the number, some 1.7 million have disabled parts, including limbs and arms among others.

Howver, data from the Tanzania Association of the Disabled, show that it is only about 20 per cent who can actually get access artificial body parts such as limbs. To access an artificial limb in a hospitals, one needs up to Sh3 million.

Some of the disabled people celebrate after they received artificial limbs from the Dar es Salaam-based Kamal Group during a brief event that was held at the weekend. The Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment and Youth and the Disabled), Mr Anthony Mavunde (not in the picture) graced the event.

The Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment and Youth and the Disabled), Mr Anthony Mavunde (centre) presents an artificial limb to Ms Mwanaisha Mohammed during an event where the Dar es Salaam-based Kamal Group donated a total of 108 artificial limbs to the disabled people in the city at the weekend. From left is: a lecturer from Mzumbe University Dar es Salaam Campus, Dr Coretha Komba, a Kamal Group director, Mr Satyam Gupta, Kamal Group founder, Mr Santosh Gupta, Kamal Group chairman, Mr Gagan Gupta and director, Mr Sameer Gupta.

A cross section of people with disabilities try their artificial limbs shortly after they were donated to them by the Dar es Salaam-based Kamal Group during a brief event that was graced by the Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment and Youth and the Disabled), Mr Anthony Mavunde (not in the picture) during the weekend.