Vibha's primary focus is on Education, Vocational training and Healthcare for children. Most of the projects supported by Vibha fall into this general set of categories. However, if you take a closer look at the list of our projects, you will know that Vibha is also supporting some that address the most disadvantaged and probably the most neglected segment of the children in India - the physically and/or mentally challenged children. We had presented few of these wonderful projects - Janmadhyam, Shrishti, and RMKM  - in our previous newsletters.

This month, we would like to inform you about Prayas in Jaipur, a successful project with a truly inspirational personal story.   The success of this project is underlined by a recent visit by the President of India, Mr. Abdul Kalam.

"What can I do?" - This is the most asked question by several of you. If you are going to India this summer, we urge you to do something special. Visit a project. Spend just few hours -  interact with the children, learn the issues and the solutions from the social workers making a difference. That's the best you can do for yourself!

The President visits Prayas

The President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam visited Prayas (Vibha supported project; Project Profile provided on the right) on 30 March, 2007, blessed the children, and interacted with them.

“Today I have seen and learned from these children that despite all challenges and difficulties, one can be cheerful and happy .The only thing that keeps one going is courage which enables a person face all challenges in life”, the President remarked during his visit. He also said that the smiles on the faces of children reflects the commitment, environment and excellent work of Prayas. He also released the awareness material (a book, posters and film on Disabilities) prepared by Prayas. He later invited the children to come to the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

We at Vibha congratulate Prayas on this recognition and hope that this helps them in their efforts to sensitize the issues of physically and mentally challenged children.

We are also excited to have Ms. Jatinder Arora, the Executive Director of Prayas as a guest speaker at the Annual Vibha Volunteer Conference to be held in Dallas on June 2 and 3.

Seeing is Believing

If you are planning a vacation to India this summer, we encourage you to do something different during your visit.

Make time - just about half a day - to visit a local grassroots project that is making a difference in your local community/town/city. Vibha is currently supporting more than 40 projects in India in several parts of India. A visit to any of these projects will help you put a human face to all your support. The time spent here will enable you to closely observe and learn about the problems that are being faced and the solutions that are attempted.  

We are certain that this will be an extremely satisfying experience for you.  We realise that often the beneficiary of your support is many degrees of separation away and hence this visit could also serve to allay any apprehensions about the utilization of funds, should you have any. Infact, recently one of our supporters Mr Paddy Rao Atmuri from Atlanta visited Bhavatula Charitable Trust, a Vibha project in Andhra Pradesh and was so impressed with the project that he made a spot donation of Rs. 50,000. “I am amazed by how a small and simple idea and a lot of dedication from one individual can bring change to thousands of lives!” he said about the project.

Please make an effort. Visit www.vibha.org/projects for a complete list of projects. In order to visit any of them, please write to our volunteer Vignesh and we will be glad to facilitate your visit.

Together, we can do much more!
Dream a little! Do a Little!

Some more pictures of Prayas

Project Profile

Prayas,
Jaipur, Rajasthan

In November 1993, Ms. Jatinder Arora, working as a journalist with the “The Times of India”, met with an accident and lost vision in both her eyes. When she was blinded, she volunteered in a school for the disabled children. When everyone showed pity, these children accepted her with love and affection. During that time, she realized that with proper care, these children could learn a lot and lead dignified lives. When she finally recovered her vision after three years in 1996, she decided to dedicate her life to the cause of children and be their spokesperson. She started Prayas in Jaipur, an Institute working for mentally challenged, physically disabled and socially deprived children.

The major objectives of Prayas are to:

• Provide special education and to create a better environment for learning.
• Develop income generating skills, enabling them to be economically self-reliant and lead a dignified life.
• Provide Integrated Education with other children.
• Provide for community based rehabilitation for the special children.
• Advocacy and networking with governmental and non-governmental institutes.

Prayas is currently running four schools – one special education and vocational training centre at Jhalana and three integrated schools at Raja Park, Amagarh and Sanegar.

Prayas started with just 5 children and now has more than 300 children, covering 30 slums in Jaipur. In addition, Prayas is providing health, education, SHG groups, counseling services to 5000 families.

In the Special Education and Training center, education is imparted in accordance with the individual educational needs and capacities of children and at their natural pace of learning. Various mediums - music, dance, drama, craft, and story-telling are used for creatively engaging children and helping them learn to read, write and compute basic arithmetic. Considering the fact that most mentally challenged and multiply disabled children are unable to coordinate their body movements and/or think coherently and steadily for more than few seconds, it takes several weeks of painstaking efforts to train them to be steady and attentive and respond to simple commands and instruction, before any learning process is initiated. Much of the instruction is focused on helping them to cope with day to day routine activities in order to minimize their dependence on other members of the family. It is only when these skills are mastered the children are gradually introduced to basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills.

Prayas endeavors to make all activities in the special school not only interesting for children to pursue but also lucrative in terms of money, to make them economically independent and live life in dignity. Towards this end, a number of skills related to productive and economically viable activities are imparted to children. These include – candle making, tie and dye, stitching, bag making, envelope and folder making, chalk making etc. Products made by these children are gradually marketed and the proceeds are deposited in the individual bank accounts of children.

To cater to the needs of profoundly disabled children, who cannot go to the special school because of their disability, Prayas has launched home based service program wherein physiotherapists and special educators visit the homes of such children twice a week and give them therapy and also counsel the parents.

The integrated schools have a wide mix of boys and girls from amongst normal and challenged children. It is quite heartening to note that not a single child has dropped out from these schools in all these years. In order to make sure that the domestic conditions do not affect the education of children, especially girls, Prayas made a liaison with various government departments to provide employment to mothers of challenged children. All these led to an increase in trust and confidence of parents and the community towards Prayas, and as a result of this the demand for admission in the school has increased year after year.

The success stories are numerous and each of them is heartening! Thirty-two children from the Amagarh centre appeared for the Grade A and B examination under the NOS (National Open Schooling) this year. Jamil, a student with mental disability started working as an assistant at a bookstore and gets a monthly salary. He will appear for his grade X exams next year. Sultana, an eight year old multiply-disabled girl, who was unable to walk two years ago and brought to school by her mother, now comes to school on her own, and is doing well academically.

Vibha currently supports the Amargarh integrated school where 26 mentally challenged children and 76 regular children are getting education. The annual disbursal of $10,700 supports the salaries of several regular teachers, one special education teacher, the project coordinator, and nutrition for the children.

Vibha is proud to be supporting Prayas in their efforts to make a significant difference in the lives of these most disadvantaged children of the society.

If you would like more information on Prayas please contact us at projects@vibha.org.

Vibha 1030 E El Camino Real, #424 Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Phone: 408-997-9992 | Fax: 775-593-1061

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Vibha is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit, non-religious, non-political organization that seeks to restore to underprivileged children their basic rights to food, shelter, health and education - in short, a future.
All donations to Vibha are tax exempt in the US.