Introduction

Dr. Naseema Hurzuk was a normal healthy girl taking part in sports and cultural activities. She became a wheel chair bound paraplegic at the tender age of 16 years. After the initial trauma, she gathered herself, completed her education and got employment in Central Excise and Customs (Now GST). In 1984, she founded ‘Helpers of the Handicapped, Kolhapur’ (HoH). She led the organization from the front for 35 years. During her tenure the organization helped thousands of persons with disabilities (PwD) with education, medical aid, appliances, vocational training and employment. The organization also created impressive infrastructure like Gharonda hostel,  Samarth Vidya Mandir, Vocational Training Center (fabrication), Skills Training Center (tailoring) etc. In Sindhudurg district it created ‘Swapna Nagari’ hostel and Cashew Processing Training Unit providing vocational training and employment to scores of persons with disabilities.

After a long stint at the helm of HoH, she felt that it is time for her to chart a course different from HoH. Naseema resigned as President of HoH and Unit Head of Swapna Nagari project from 1 July 2020. She is now only a Life Member of HoH.

Naseema could not give up her mission of working for the disabled. She gathered herself and founded ‘Saahas Disability Research and Care Foundation’ (Saahas), which was registered as a Society on 3 December 2020. It was formally launched in Kolhapur on 16 January 2021 in presence of several dignitaries and members of the community.

Saahas aims to provide all possible assistance to PwDs to lead a better life by providing them better mobility, medical care, education, vocational training and employment.