A BRIEF HISTORY

Leprosy was a dreaded disease in India in the early 1960s, leaving those afflicted,deformed, disabled and distraught. Besides suffering physical disability, such persons were socially ostracized and even isolated from their families and society. They were branded as unemployable and made to feel useless and unproductive.

If at all, the only opportunities open to them, were to be engaged in traditional crafts like basket weaving and candle making, where the income generated was meagre.

In June 1963, the Swedish Red Cross started a rehabilitation centre in Katpadi in Tamilnadu, India. Breaking away from tradition, they offered training to persons with disabilities (PWDs) including those affected by leprosy, in Light Engineering. Gradually subcontract work started trickling in from major industries. Eventually when the workshop became economically viable, a Trust was formed to manage the activities and the Swedish Red Cross withdrew.

THE CREED WE LIVE BY

"It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness"

WORTH Trust embraced the social responsibility of rehabilitating persons with disabilities in the firm conviction that every such person, despite the odds, has an useful role to play in society and the right to lead a normal life. Making it its mission, to facilitate transformation of their latent potential into productive performance, the Trust runs Technical Training Centres to impart systematic training to PWDs and employs these persons to turn out quality industrial components that compete in the market place with industries run commercially.

In parallel with its industrial initiatives,WORTH Trust runs a Transitional School for children with disabilities,with the objective of preparing them for integration into regular schools. The Trust also goes to the aid of PWDs in villages, through a rural Outreach Programme aimed at rescuing them and their families from a life of misery and neglect.

All the expenses involved in running the Training Centres, School and rural Outreach are met from the revenues generated by the production centres (which are themselves manned by workers with disabilities), making the Trust uniquely self-sufficient and independent of financial support from the Government or the community at large.

However, we do acknowledge the generous aid from national and international organizations such as the Rotary Club (of Madras and Whitby), the Industrial Development Bank of India, the Government of India, Christoffel Blinden Mission and MISEREOR, besides our founding organization, the Swedish Red Cross. Such funds are generally earmarked for asset creation. While the industrial activity is important for its sustenance, the Trust places equal emphasis on the production of assistive devices and mobility aids - quite in keeping with its fundamental aim of enabling persons with disabilities (and the elderly), and drawing them away from a life of isolation or institutionalization to a barrier-free integration.

Our logo showing an open-ended wrench depicts industrial activity; the image can also be seen as two protective hands. The missing petal within representing disability, completes the picture.