Acclaimed Irish inspirational speaker Caroline Casey today said she has special affinity towards India as her 1000-km long adventure in the country helped her raise funds for an operation that restored her eyesight partially.
Casey's heartening adventure in 2000, when she bought an elephant and trekked 1,000-km across South India, raised 480,000 euros back home when she appeared on a national television talk show.
This gave her access to corporate leadership and her agenda expanded from purely fundraising to promoting the capacity and capability of people with disabilities.
In 2000, Casey landed in India and undertook the adventure with six Indian gentlemen. "I found myself, at the only blind date of my life, face to face with a little elephant. And I did it on my own. I had this extraordinary team of six Indian gentlemen. No foreigners, no help, no aid," Casey told some 700 delegates at Deutsche Bank's 'Woman in Asian Business' conference.
Casey went on to establish Kanchi in 2000 with the aim to positively change the way people think about disability, to motivate people to see the value and potential of difference.
"They (the Indians) have helped me see and I want to say Thank you. I owe India so much of my life. I would like to speak in India and say Thank you," said Casey.
She makes regular visits to India and ensures that her elephant is being taken care of properly.
