Afghan Amputee Bicyclists for Rehabilitation and Recreation (AABRAR)
is a small, Afghan non-government organization that is primarily concerned
with the physical rehabilitation and socio-economic integration of
disabled people into the community.
In its inception in 1992, AABRAR began a bicycle training program
for amputees to improve mobility and increase their independence,
enabling them to travel to and from work, and save on transportations
costs. Since then, AABRAR has expanded its activities to offer a range
of services to vulnerable people, designing special programs for women
and children to address their needs. AABRAR’s programs include
physiotherapy and health care, bicycle training, vocational training,
numeracy and literacy classes, mine awareness and health education
training, and various sporting activities. AABRAR also works in the
area of social development, helping to raise awareness of the rights
of disabled people within Afghanistan to dispel negative attitudes
towards disability.
Since its inception in 1992, AABRAR has helped over 6,000 people recover
physically and emotionally from their injuries and increased their
socio-economic participation in their local community life. AABRAR
has centers in Kabul and Jalalabad and is seeking to expand its programs
to all major cities in Afghanistan.
AABRAR has implemented a range of activities to help people achieve
mobility, become economically empowered, increase self-confidence,
and develop the skills needed to live an independent life. AABRAR’s
direct beneficiaries are predominately disabled people; the majority
of which are amputees as a result of land-mine accidents. Others suffer
from paraplegia, polio, cerebral palsy, and club foot. Some of AABRAR’s
vocational training programs also include beneficiaries from other
vulnerable groups such as widows who are also marginalized within
Afghanistan.
AABRAR is a registered member of the Islamic Transitional Government
of Afghanistan, a registered member of Afghan NGO Coordination Body
(ANCB), a Member of the Steering Committee of the Afghan Campaign
to Ban Landmines (ACBL), and a Member of the Afghan Paralympics Committee
(APC).
