Jaipur Foot: Where Prosthetics No Longer Cost an Arm & a Leg

According the 2011 Census, of the 1.21 billion people in India, 26.8 million of them are disabled. Within the disabled population 5,436,604 people have locomotor disabilities with amputations being one of significant impact. India sees road and train accidents as the key reason for amputations followed by disease and illness. Amputees tend to be men that come from rural backgrounds and lower castes, due to the nature of the jobs they seek and lifestyle. The key issue that comes from amputation of a limb is that a lost limb essentially equates to losing one’s job because they are no long mobile. Often times prothesis is pricey when seeking it from hospitals. Since 1975 Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, also know as Jaipur Foot, has been providing underprivileged amputees both in India and internationally with prosthesis, calipers, mobility devices such as wheelchairs, hand pedaled tricycles, as well as economic rehabilitation, lodging if they stay overnight, and transportation home, all free of charge making the whole process patient centric, and plans to continue to do so as long as it exists. Those who work there are all volunteers besides a few workers that make the parts, leaving administrative costs a mere 4% of the money they receive. Taking into account the cultural aspects of Indian society such as the prevalence of barefoot walking, the constant bending of legs and sitting on floors due to religion, tradition and work, and the fact that people prefer a more natural look for the prosthetic that fits their daily lives rather than the complex mechanical prosthetics of the west, Jaipur Foot’s prosthetics are widely used around India and internationally. With 23 branches across India, 3 associate centers in the Philippines, one in Pakistan, 50 outreach fitment camps done in 26 countries most recently in Myanmar and Ethiopia as well as upcoming camps in Nepal and a center in Afghanistan, Jaipur Foot expanded greatly in the past 40 years. With NGOs often times being scrutinized from aspects such as finances to relationships with those they are meant to serve, Jaipur Foot has found great success and positive growth due. Through interning at Jaipur Foot, interviewing patients and staff, maintaining field notes, as well as doing outside research on disability in India, it will be examine why Jaipur Foot has found so much success, and how it can serve as a model for other NGOs looking to do similar work.