Sangharsh Campaign- Help us build the bridge to a future

A UN report of 2015 estimates that out of the 2.9 million children with disabilities in India, 34% children aged between 6 to 14 years are out of school. This is despite the Right to Education Act which provides for inclusive education. Children with disabilities living in low-income (slum) communities are particularly vulnerable and neglected. Their families are unaware about the nature and extent of disability, availability, and access to services and entitlement to benefits. This ignorance coupled with the shame/guilt of having a disabled child and stigmatized responses from neighbors and community results in the child being kept indoors. A child with a disability is vulnerable but has the capacity to overcome this vulnerability with an appropriate and holistic intervention at an early age. A community-based education and rehabilitation programme for children with disabilities makes them visible, confident, productive members of society and promotes the spirit of inclusion.

Sahyog Sangharsh is a unique, community-based “bridge” programme for the education and rehabilitation of children and youth (3 to 18 yrs) with developmental disabilities (hearing, speech, visual, locomotor, intellectual). It is situated in the heart of Narayan Nagar, Ghatkopar, Mumbai. We bridge their journey from home to mainstream educational institutions/places of employment; from total dependence to greater independence.

Through center-based learning we reach out to up to 30 children with disabilities who learn basic literacy, numeracy, activities of daily living, and vocational skills; receive speech and occupational therapy and psychiatric counseling; and participate in a host of extracurricular activities. Home-based therapy is provided to up to 10 children who are unable to access the center due to severe disabilities and circumstances. Regular community-based activities are held to demystify disability and celebrate inclusion. Our staff comprises largely of women from the community who have been trained in disability intervention. We are supported by mentors and employers in our vicinity. Women and youth from the community are our volunteers. This not only contributes to making our programme sustainable but also builds an environment that is more secure, accepting and enabling for the children and their families, who once felt hopeless and alone.

Since its initiation in 2003

• 165 children enrolled in Sangharsh center have been provided education and rehabilitation services.

• 21 children with severe disabilities have received home-based care

• 275 children (Sangharsh and community based) have been linked to medical and therapy services

• 35 children have been integrated into mainstream institutions

• 43 children between 0-3 years have been identified as being at risk of or with disability and referred for early intervention

We invite each one of you to support our Sangharsh campaign. By sponsoring the education and rehabilitation of the children at Sahyog Sangharsh, you are making a vital contribution in building the bridge to their future. You are ensuring that these children become happier, more independent, more useful—and lead their lives with dignity.