Help Dr Puri give differently abled a life of dignity. Donate now

When a child with a disability is born in an impoverished household in India they are often confined within four walls, abandoned by their own family, ostracised by society, and left to rot.

Nilofer’s life was no different. She lived with her mother in the dingy alleys of Lallapura slums in an 8X8 ft room after her father left them because of her disability. All they managed on was her mother’s meagre income and the food they got from the local mosque. Nilofer never knew that she could also dream of a self-reliant future till she came across Society for Child Development (SFCD). She received training in handiwork and today she earns ₹2000 per month from making fabric buttons and dolls from weaving waste. 

SFCD is working towards building an equal world for the differently-abled by generating livelihoods. However, lack of funds is becoming a major roadblock in their endeavour to reach out to more people with disabilities. 

Inclusion through art

SFCD’s Trash to Cash initiative provides income opportunities to people with disabilities. The centre trains these people, especially those from slums and low-income communities to recycle waste materials collected from factories and turn them into handicraft items.

“We work with many people with disabilities. Like intellectually disabled, visually impaired, physically impaired, autistic…our idea here is to focus on the ability and forget the disability. We start a full-on training in the skill or craft that we want them to learn and it continues for 5 to 6 years until they receive full-time employment, receive a salary….it makes them walk with their head a little higher with dignity” - Dr. Madhumita Puri, Founder, SFCD. 

A professional design team tutors them in traditional crafts such as paper making, fabrication from paper, painting and drawing, ceramics, fashion jewellery making, woodworking, weaving, fabrication, eco dyeing and printing, screening printing, and photography. Every disabled person receives a stipend during their course of training until they are permanently employed and promoted to receive monthly payments - which will help support them and their families.

Help Madhumita create equal opportunities for the differently abled

“The only struggle we face now is the funds. There is a great need to reach out to many more people who otherwise will spend their life in a corner of a house without knowing what they are capable of. ..but we cannot do it alone. Empowering more people means procuring more training material, utilities, machines, manpower, and staff. For all this we need your support. Please do help us to help them” - Dr. Madhumita Puri

SFCD spends around ₹12L every month to meet all these expenses and is in urgent financial need to continue their skill development program that generates employment for people with disabilities. Your support can provide them with a life of respect and equal opportunities, a life they deserve. Donate now

About Society For Child Development

The Society for Child Development was started in 1992 by Dr. Madhumita Puri, with the conviction that there would be a way to create a world of equal opportunities for differently abled to establish programs and initiatives for its actualization. Started as a school for children with learning difficulties, the organisation has grown over the last 30 years through various programmes and has impacted 1600 persons with disabilities by helping them learn and provide for their families.