REALITY
The journey to the services that children with disabilities slum children need to enjoy these rights, is unbelievably difficult. Out there, their families have to deal with rigid rules, paperwork, ignorance and hostility. At home, the burden of care strains finances, social ties and emotions. Under the weight of these problems, these children are deprived of opportunities for education and training, hidden from view, and isolated from the world which surrounds them.
RESPONSE
We built Sahyog Sangharsh, a secure, familiar and enabling enviroment into which they take the first step from home. This experience helps to bridge the wide gap between them and the services, the community, and other support systems.
PRINCIPLES
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Accept every child with a disability, regardless of the kind and extent of disability, previous education or training, social background, the family’s ability to spend money, make efforts and give time.
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Build an environment where the responsibility to care and protect them is shared by the whole community.
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Strengthen their relationships with the outside world to make them valued and respected.
FOCUS AREAS
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Training in daily living skills and numeracy and literacy to transition to formal schools, training and employment alternatives
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Providing suitable treatment and rehabilitation services
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Spreading awareness to prevent and identify disability early
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Educating and supporting the parents of children with disabilities
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Networking families with neighbourhood and community-support systems
Between 2003-2018:
- 165 children enrolled in Sangharsh centre have been provided education and rehabilitation services. At any given time we are working with 30-40 children.
- 275 children (centre and community based) have been linked to medical and therapy services
- 43 children between 0-3 years have been identified as being at risk of or with disability and referred for early intervention
- 21 children with severe disabilities have received home based care
- 35 children have been integrated into mainstream institutions
- Our alumni are living independent and productive lives as young adults.
The lives of others around them have changed as well.
A mother, whose life was an endless routine of feeding, cleaning and changing her bedridden son, now looks up and sees that he is smiling at her.
A father, who regretfully slapped his daughter for wandering alone, has now a means to communicate his concerns without hurting her.
A mother, who was terrified of her moody, aggressive grown up son, now stops to chat with us, while he carries the groceries home.
A mother who faced scorn for tying her little girl to the bed when she went out now proudly takes her shopping.
THE FUTURE
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We want to expand the capacity of the centre to be able to admit 100 students at a time
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We want to expand the reach of our outreach, prevention, and home-based care programme to the entire suburban area of Mumbai.
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We want to reach 100-150 infants, children, and adolescents at risk of disability each year and refer them to appropriate services, even while we provide ongoing support.