Skill Training for the Disabled

Community Based Rehabilitation Programme

Disabled children are the most disadvantaged segment of people in our society. In rural areas the problems faced by them are compounded by poverty and ignorance. A survey of villages covered by BCT conducted in 1992 showed a total of 350 disabled children suffering from a variety of conditions including polio, mental retardation, hearing and speech impediments, visual loss and multiple disabilities. Since the efficacy of an institution based rehabilitation programme has been proved to be partial at best, BCT decided on a community based programme where the children would be rehabilitated in their own homes to effect the rehabilitation of the entire family. Sponsored by MIBLOU, a Swiss agency, BCT’s community rehabilitation programme began in 1992 with three fold objectives:

• To take corrective measures to enable the disabled to lead a life of their own
• To build their self confidence to work along with the community
• To motivate the community to help and assist the disabled persons.

BCT linked the disabled persons by liaising with the governmental departments to get their regular assistance for bus concessions, medical certificates, renewal of railway passes, etc. BCT also identified and provided necessary skills and financial support for participants to earn some money on their own.

Residential Skill Training Centre

With the continued interest and encouragement of Ms. Daisy Mottier and Ms. Marika Millar of MIBLOU, a residential skill training programme for disabled children started in 2000 in batches of 20 students for a period of 18 months. There the students are trained in agricultural skills, tailoring and making paper bags, lace bags and Adda leaf bags, with the idea that when they return home they will be able earn a living for themselves and become proud inhabitants of their respective villages. Students also spend 4 hours per day learning literacy skills.

It is a sight to see, the spark in the eyes of these children when they demonstrate their skills in writing and arithmetic much to the admiration of visitors including the Govenors of Andra Pradesh and international guests.

The second and third batch of students were given total financial support by Dr. Lakshmi Venkatesan and a host of warm-hearted individuals from Singapore and other countries. Dr. Venkatesan and her family also donated for the construction of a campus to house this program in memory of their father, late P.V. Venkatesan. The new campus was completed in April 2004 and currently houses the fourth batch of students.

Graduates of the program generally earn a minimum of 1,000 rupees per month once they begin to work in their villages. They return to the center regularly to refresh their skills and offer encouragement to the current students.

(Compiled from Smt. Asha Nori's "BCT In Retrospect" and B.V. Sreenivasa Rao's "Residential Training Programme for Disabled Children", both appeared in BCT's 2003 Souvenir Book.)