Project Prakash Charitable Trust(PPCT) was formed on August 8, 2018. The formation of the Trust aimed at addressing the needs of persons with disability, especially, those who are visually impaired. India shoulders the greatest burden of the planet’s 1.3 million blind children in developing countries. Most children stay untreated due to scant medical facilities and the belief that beyond the first few years, interventions are futile. This lack of treatment has devastating consequences. Over 90% of the affected children are unable to obtain an education and fewer than 50% survive to adulthood. More than 80% are unemployed as adults. For blind girls, the outlook is even direr. 75% of girls with disabilities suffer physical or sexual abuse. The reason for children’s poor access to ophthalmic facilities is the profound imbalance in the latter’s distribution. Most hospitals are located in India’s major urban centers. Over 70% of the population, however, lives in remote villages, effectively cut off from modern medical care. Poverty, ignorance and lack of simple diagnostic tools in rural areas deprive children of the chance of early treatment. There is a clear humanitarian need for treatment and awareness of childhood blindness.
Project Prakash Charitable Trust was formed by Dr. Pawan Sinha, an oversees citizen (OCI Card Holder) of India who is a Prof. at Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, USA, Dr. Tapan Kumar Gandhi, Assistant Prof. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi and Dr. Prerna Tewari a Medical Professional with the Mission “All lives lived to their full potential.” The Mission of the Trust is to transform the lives of individuals with various disabilities by providing treatment, helping their socio-economic and educational rehabilitation and undertaking scientific research to understand causes and develop better therapies. For this purpose, PPCT works towards spreading awareness and prevention of blindness. It organizes free eye screening camps in collaboration with organizations/institutions engaged in prevention and treatment of blindness.
Apart from the above Project Prakash Charitable Trust also helps persons with disabilities for their educational and vocational rehabilitation. Through its committed and well trained volunteers PPCT identifies the children with disabilities who are in the lack of resources and inaccessibility to the educational facilities are out of school and helps them to find the organizations/institutions that can address their unmet needs.