What TFWA Care did for... Soulcial Trust

Imagine a life of isolation and awkwardness because of your physical disability. In the developing world, physical disability is an enormous constraint that has a life-long repercussion for the individual and their family. Lack of education and social awareness are often the culprit to this lifetime exclusion. Thanks to local NGOs working in less privileged societies, there are campaigns and grassroots movements being launched to raise public awareness about physical disability. Without this support, those who are afflicted will always have to swim against this tide.

Soulcial Trust is an NGO based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with a branch in New Delhi, India. Its mission is to collaborate with communities to raise awareness about social issues in developing countries. Soulcial Trust focuses on communities with disability and environmental concerns, working with other organisations both on the ground and internationally to inspire change and promote dialogue.

In 2009, it was estimated that 4.7% of Cambodia’s population live with a disability and this fraction of the population forms a vicious circle for their well-being and their families. For kids with disability, the chances that they are discriminated against and isolated from society are very high with detrimental long term effects. Only 10% of Cambodian children with disabilities have access to schooling and a study in its Kandal province found that 43% of kids with disabilities are illiterate compared to 9% among children without disability. For adults with disabilities, they encounter more difficulties finding jobs due to lack of education or training for a special skillset. Job opportunities are scarcer for those with disability than those without. Statistics from 2004 indicate that people with disabilities in Cambodia generally earnings are 65% less than people without the same challenges.

Project for 2018

Soulcial Trust strongly believes that sports and education are fundamental for drawing people with disabilities into the fabric of society. Often viewed as outcasts or unrecognized for their strength of character, the goal is to empower the community of children and adults with disabilities through the values, challenges, and ethics of the inclusive, team-oriented culture which sport provides. Soulcial Trust intends to break the cycle of isolation that too often characterises the lives of people with disabilities, especially in low income and rural communities.

For the first time, TFWA Care is proud to support and partner with Soulcial Trust’s XLability Programme, a project that champions the ability of people with physical challenges to excel by using the principles and standards of behaviour defined by sports. The XLability programme consists of three projects that work in tandem with each other:

The Disability Education Course in schools to teach children about disabilities.
The creation of an All-Ability Wheelchair Sports Centre in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
An International Wheelchair Sports Exchange between Cambodia, India, and France.

With the virtues inherent in sportsmanship and camaraderie in athletics, Soulcial Trust uses sports as its main tool to promote inclusiveness and equality. For children and youth with disabilities, who are especially vulnerable, this empowerment is essential for their psychological development. The playing field is open for anyone to demonstrate that they are capable of great achievements after a game. For each trial, TFWA Care is proud to fund Soulcial Trust’s XLability Programme and help its beneficiaries by giving them an escape from isolation, a life skill and the opportunity to take part in community activities that are currently not open to them.