A School For Special Children

The focus of this programme is to integrate differently abled children with their families and society to the

maximum extent possible by intensive training, adopting innovative techniques and methodologies and using

teaching aids made by qualified special educators based on the needs of the children, their age groups and

the different challenges they face.

The programme focuses on:

a) Helping the children develop motor skills, self-help and social skills whilst engaging them in other activities

which contribute to personal hygiene and grooming.

b) Teaching academic skills like reading, writing, simple mathematics and enhancing their group and

interpersonal interactions.

c) Activities like yoga, music therapy and meditation to enhance the children’s learning experience.

The programme has so far touched 150 lives and families and continues to work for children with special

needs.

Learning Centres For Slum Children

The programme was started in 2005 by someone who was working for the rights of domestic workers. While

working with women it was noticed that nearly 90% of domestic workers are women, girls or children, ranging

from the ages of 12 to 75 and it was estimated that 25% are below the age of 14.

The programme envisages setting models of services on child rights by organizing learning centres for

children out of school in various slum pockets and to promote the concept of a child’s right to education.

The centres have children from 4 to 14 years and the medium of instruction is English and Hindi along with

the local language. The programme engages staff from within the community, who are in a better position to

deal with the children and their circumstances. The children are taught the bridge course curriculum and are

HYDERABAD

eventually mainstreamed into Government schools. The programme ensures a thorough follow up on each

case. Books and other learning materials are provided for by the programme.

The programme has been able to mainstream 50-70% of the children into Government schools located

within their community.

Holistic Development of Underprivileged Children from Government Schools

The programme primarily works with underprivileged schools and deserving students in the existing

government schools in and around the Hitech City area of Gachibowli, Hyderabad to promote qualitative

learning. The aim of the programme is to run the Government school in a more focused manner, where

the staff, volunteers and mentors can fruitfully contribute towards the vision of providing qualitative holistic

education to the students. It started its operations in 2010 when the student to staff ratio was 350 students to

3 teachers. The programme concentrates on a structured approach to teaching and conducting activities as

per the baseline assessments. Through co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, it was able to meet the

two important challenges the students faced: irregularity and parental non-involvement.

The programme has enhanced qualitative learning through different programmes like the literacy programme,

life skills programme, and value based education through sports, activity-based learning and extracurricular

activities like dance and theatre. Overall reading comprehension, writing skills and communication skills of

the students have improved drastically.

Home For The Girl Child

This is a shelter home for girls who

are away from their own homes

due to poverty, exploitation,

destitution, abuse, child labour or

delinquency. The home is being

run by the Sisters of the JMJ

Social Service Society.

The programme focuses on holistic

rehabilitation and mainstreaming

through counseling, education,

shelter and food and also by

helping these girls build capacities

for an independent life. The programme has successfully rescued 83 girls from exploitative environments

and rehabilitated them by providing education, livelihood skills and residential care that is directed towards

their overall development.

These girls are mostly orphans, runaway children, child laborers or children of single parents who have been

rescued from streets, railway platforms, and juvenile homes.

They are enrolled in English and Telugu medium schools in the vicinity of the home. Evening tuitions are

conducted at the home to polish their skills and motivate the children to improve their standard of education.

Educational Support For Marginalised Government School Children

This project is implemented in the state of Telangana reaching out to 226 children from a government regulated

primary school. The project is an innovation as it supports students in academics, provides opportunity for

extracurricular activities and most importantly it ensures that children are happy when at school.

The project ensures retention in schools by imparting quality education with increased participation of

teachers and children. These children are prepared to manage their life with self-esteem and confidence,

through life skills and value based education. Activities around all special days like Republic day, annual day,

childrens day, teachers day, independence day and much more are celebrated.

After School Support For A Child

The programme adresses one of the most important issues of the hour, which has been long neglected

by the Government and the private sector. The issue of children of women who are trafficked are very

often misunderstood and treated badly. There are no major steps taken or planned to identify and prevent

these children even though several hundred

and thousands of children and women are

being either lured or trafficked. This happens,

due to lack of awareness and the absence

of research being carried out either by the

Government or any private body. Some of the

children have single parents trapped in the

web of trafficking. Since the parents of these

children are unable to take care of their daily

needs and education due to various emotional

and behavioral issues, they leave them at the

programme and visit them sometimes. The

programme thus takes care of the needs of the children and has enrolled them in an English medium school.

The programme has succeeded in rehabilitating the children from their exploitative environment by providing

education and residential care that are directed towards the overall development of 43 girl children.

There are 43 female children aged between 5-14 years. They are facilitated with quality educational support

in a stigma free environment in a private English medium school, ensured to be aware of their basic rights,

quality Health Check-ups by a qualified team of Doctors, Nurses and Psychologists carried out periodically,

hence contributing to their overall growth and development.

Health Centre For Children Affected With Thalassemia

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder. Statistics reveal that in India thalassaemia major affects over

1,00,000 people and over 8,000 reported thalassaemia at the time of birth every year (www.indianredcross.

org). Thalassemia is widespread in the region of Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh.

This centre was established by parents and philanthropists in 1998 and has made great advancement in

transfusion services. The programme has a prescribed format for individual patient’s care history containing

details of patients, disease status, family details etc. All the details of the patient’s medical history are recorded.

They currently have information on 2040 patients. The programme counsels and educates thalassemics ,

educates families about the management of thalassemia and aims at creating better facilities for transfusion,

treatment and prevention of the disease.

The programme also informs the patients about their upcoming medical checkups as the patients’ files are

updated along with the reports of clinical assessments on a regular basis. This helps in determination of

the health status of the patients. Further, the programme conducts multi-organ screening camps to know

the patient’s medical history. Multi- specialty doctors like Endocrinologists, Cardiologists, Hematologists,

Dentists, Pediatricians and Ophthalmologists are available in these camps. The programme conducts 3-5

camps and 240 patients who have completed 50 transfusions have gone through the multi organ screening,

ensuring prevention of severe anemia and accords for better growth and development.