« Go Back

About Ready, Willing...Enable! Inc.

Ready, Willing...Enable! an independent non-profit organization assists persons with disabilities in developing countries. Our mission is to first educate persons with disabilities. Second, to teach their family members about different aspects of the disability. Lastly, to help communities learn about the valuable skills and talents of their disabled members.

Ready, Willing...Enable! conducts short-term volunteer assignments in Dominica working with children and young adults with disabilities. Most programs are 9-days in length, but can be extended. RWE volunteers teach life skills such as cooking, sewing, woodworking, computer literacy, and sports as well as basic education. Volunteers also help the youth demonstrate to the community as well as their own families that persons with disabilities do have abilities, and can contribute to society. Individuals selected to embark on this immersive adventure will be true pioneers in the best sense of the word. As Ready, Willing...Enable! volunteers, participants will work directly with disabled youths to educate them about life skills that can improve the quality of their lives. This includes everything from life management skills such as operating a computer or cooking to pleasurable pursuits like guitar-playing.

Our founders, Edwin Blanton and Jennifer Catron are both former Peace Corps Volunteers. Together, they identified a need and a want, and work towards putting those two things together. First they realized that disabled persons in developing countries are often not treated equally because of their disabilities. These persons are often denied education, jobs, and social status. Second, Edwin and Jennifer realized when they returned to the U.S. that there are many Americans who have this "want" to go overseas and do volunteer work, but because of commitments (time, financial, family, etc.) they are unable to make the long-term commitment that programs such as Peace Corps can require. RWE was created to help match this want with this need.

International Voluntary Service Activities

In 2008, just as in 2007, Ready, Willing...Enable! conducts programs in the Commonwealth of Dominica. RWE placed 4 volunteers in 2007, and will place approximately 8 in 2008. These volunteers have focused on education and have ranged from special education teachers to school psychologists. In 2007 we provided an educational program for youth ranging from ages 12 to 19 that had disabilities such as blindness, deafness, and mental disabilities. All future programs will have a similar focus.

In addition to teachers and other educational professionals, Ready, Willing...Enable! also tries to actively recruit physical and occupational therapists. Every year we speak to hundreds of individuals at colleges, churches, and civic groups in an effort to recruit volunteers (estimated at 700 individuals over the last 12 months). We also make appearances in local and national media. Our website has received as many at 2,100 individual visitors in a single day.

Within the next 12 months we hope to have programs similar to our Dominican program in Paraguay and Mexico. With all 3 programs in operation, we plan to have 30-60 Ready, Willing...Enable! volunteers in the next 12 months.