VARIOUS PROGRAMMES & ACTIVITIES RUN BY ANDHJAN KALYAN TRUST, DHORAJI

The Andhjan Kalyan Trust runs various activities and programmes offering specialized training programmes both for disabled clients and for professionals working in the field of disability. Brief description of the different activities of the organization are as follows :

INTEGRATED EDUCATION FOR THE DISABLED CHILDREN:

To achieve the goal of education for all and to reach the unreached, the organization runs the scheme in Dhoraji, Upleta, Jetpur and Jamkandorna blocks of Rajkot District covering 478 disabled children. These children study in normal schools in their own community with their normal peers. They are provided specialized services and equipments by the trained Itinerant Teachers.

RESOURCE CENTRE:

The innovative Resource Centre set-up at the organization's premises contains highly specialized devices and equipments to facilitate the education of the disabled children. It offers them an opportunity to learn difficult subjects in an easier way. It also provides them recreational and educational environment.

EDUCATIONAL CAMPS:

The organization makes arrangements for educational camps for the disabled children every year. These camps have proved very useful, in imparting intensive training in developing special skills in children. Children attending the camps get sports and recreation besides education.

DAY CARE CENTRE AT DHORAJI:

The centre for persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities, aims at providing education, recreation and Therapeutical services to the needy severely disabled people. This centre is equipped with ultra modern devices and equipments along with training by trained staff. At present 25 No. of disabled children are getting benefits of this centre.

RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTRE AT UPLETA:

The centre for Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and persons with Multiple Disabilities is designed to provide medical, Therapeutical, recreational and educational services to the severely disabled children unable to commute daily. These children stay at the centre round the clock and trained special educator, therapist provides them these services with care and caution. At present, 30 No. of such children are given lodging and boarding facilities along with learning environment at the centre. Both these centers are supported by the National Trust for the Welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities-Delhi.

PHYSIOTHERAPY CENTRE:

The physiotherapy center is also run by the trust under the Day Care Centre, Dhoraji. Physiotherapist is giving the treatment of physiotherapy-exercises etc. who need it like, C.P. child, paralysis affected children and people. In this centre, physiotherapist deals with children's treatment with physical modalities like heat, cold and current for accelerating the beneficiaries' recovery from injuries and diseases, which have altered his normal way of living. The different electrical modalities used in this centre are short-wave diathermy, interventional therapy, electric muscle stimulator, ultra sound, lumber traction etc. Patients with various problems like muscle-skeletal disorders, nervous system disorders, cognition and psychomotor disorders and other injuries, mental health disorders, cerebral palsy, polio, arthritis, hemiplegics patients are taking the benefits of this centre.

DEAF-BLIND CBR PROJECT:

This project has identified 23 deaf-blind persons. Some children are being provided direct services at the care centre while the others are provided home based services. The centre provides need-based training to deaf-blind persons like speech therapy, sensory training, palm reading, Braille reading and writing, orientation and mobility, activities of daily living skills etc. The Project is supported by Sense International (India) and Blind People's Association, Ahmedabad.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION (CBR):

The vision of Community Based Rehabilitation project is that people with disabilities have equal opportunities leading to improved quality of life and fully participate in a society that respects their rights and dignity. Keeping this in view, the organization has achieved considerable success in rehabilitate the disabled persons who live in the rural areas. In the rural context the emphasis has been in helping the rural disabled overcome their disability within the community itself. Community based rehabilitation program conducted by trained field staff have helped the rural disabled in the villages of Dhoraji Block of Rajkot district. More then 2898 disabled people have been surveyed and identified. The trained field staff gives them Braille reading and writing, orientation and mobility, activities of daily living skills, rural crafts, animal husbandry and agriculture work training. They are also provided useful equipments like, Tricycle, Hearing Aid, Crutches, M.R. Kits, Spectacles, Goggles, Walking Stick, C.P. Chair etc. This has resulted in enhanced life activities, employment, self-employment, social rehabilitation and more significantly, in greater self-esteem of the rural disabled.

PLACEMENT:

To avail the opportunities of meaningful employment to the disabled, the organization gives vocational and educational counseling to the clientele and also helps them to get vocational training in various fields. Such needy persons are referred to the governmental and non-governmental agencies for the employment. Efficient disabled are also advised and encouraged to pursue self-employment.

SPORTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES:

The organization organizes sports meet, musical programs and cultural programs at regular basis for these purposes. The enthusiastic disable children are trained in various events and are availed opportunities to show their best at various competitions. Different types of sports, game equipments are available for the beneficiaries at the premises of the organization.

COUNSELING:

Disabled children are given counseling with a view to enabling them to provide effective support and guidance in the upbringing and minimizing the disability of the child. They are also advised to choose right educational career of the children. For these purpose, the organization holds a parent-counseling program every year. In the matters of day to day living and schooling besides parents, teachers and headmasters of the normal schools are given counseling, family members of the aged, disabled extremely needy proper guidance and counseling the organization also makes arrangements for their requirement.

SUPPORT SERVICES:

The organization extends regular guidance and assistance to badly needy disabled clients who approach the organization for getting the benefit of different governmental and non-governmental schemes offering them financial assistance, scholarships and concessions. The organization also provides them educational, Aids and Appliances like Tape Recorder, Recorded Audio Cassettes, Braille Text Book, Braille Equipments etc. to the Blinds and Artificial Limbs, Wheel Chair, Crutches, C.P. Chair, Tri-cycle, Learning Aids etc. to the other needy disabled people without any discrimination of caste, creed or sex.

ADVOCACY:

Equality and full participation in the socio-economic and political life of the country is the right of every disabled person with this perspective; the Andhjan Kalyan Trust-Dhoraji has been engaged in social activism in order to counter discrimination against the disabled. The organization constantly takes up at all levels the specific grievances of the disabled people, relating to denial of opportunities. The issue of discrimination against the disabled has led to the presentation of petitions to the judiciary bodies like the chief commissioner or commissioner for disabilities.

We Andhjan Kalyan Trust are determined to build up a discrimination free environment for the disabled people in society not only through Judicial Activism but also by enhancing general awareness in the Saurashtra region in day-to-day life.

We welcome your kind co-operation and active support to the genuine cause of the welfare of the disabled, as you are our well-wisher friend and donor, we request you to contribute to our on going efforts in the form of cash, kind and services for their upliftment and all-round development.