Paediatric therapist Shabnam Rangwala nominated for international award for work with disability charity MAITS

Mumbai-based paediatric occupational therapist Shabnam Rangwala has been shortlisted for the Bond International Development Awards 2020. A CEO-Trustee of Project Noor, Shabnam has years of clinical experience working with children and people with multiple disabilities.

For over 30 years now Shabnam Rangwala has been helping to improve the lives of disabled people across India and Sri Lanka with her volunteer work with disability charity MAITS, A paediatric occupational therapist, she developed a pioneering programme so that children with disabilities and their families can receive practical support in their own homes from trained staff.

Recognition for community health programme

Shabnam’s work has been recognised by Bond, which is the leading United Kingdom-based membership body for organisations working in international development like Oxfam, World Vision and UNICEF UK, to name a few. Shabnam has been shortlisted for the Bond International Development Awards 2020. Members

I am immensely grateful to be shortlisted for this award. Being acknowledged for the work we do motivates us to continue our journey. Learning from the inspiring journeys of others gives us the feeling that “We are not alone.” I am honoured that my work has been recognised internationally. – Shabnam Rangwala, CEO-Trustee, Project Noor

Shabnam was instrumental in getting her Community Health Worker programme introduced by the Indian government in Himachal Pradesh. The programme is now functional across the entire state. She trained 35 government healthcare staff and 30 trainees from local charities, equipping them with knowledge to identify disabilities and break down taboos surrounding disability.

Shabnam was nominated for the award by MAITS CEO Esther Hamilton. “Shabnam has tirelessly and selflessly volunteered with children with disabilities multiple times per year, travelling as far afield as Jamaica and Cambodia from her home in Mumbai. She is a powerful testament to how training can really change lives and improve the fortunes of some of the most marginalised children.”

The final winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in London later this month. The Bond awards celebrate exceptional work undertaken in the development sector that often goes unrecognised. 

Mike Wright, Director of Membership and Communications at Bond, says: “The standard of entries this year has been particularly high across all award categories, which is a great reflection of the hard work and innovation currently taking place in the sector. We are particularly delighted to be honouring such a diverse range of volunteers and shining a light on these inspirational individuals and the incredible work they are doing.” 

The Bond International Development Awards form part of Bond Annual Conference, Europe’s biggest international development event, bringing together diverse organisations and thinkers to share ideas and discuss emerging trends in the international development and humanitarian sectors.

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