Vol 6, No 2 | February 2010       »www.vibha.org » info@vibha.org  

Rajasthan Mahila Kalyan Mandal (RMKM) - a Non-Governmental organization supported by Vibha is actively working towards empowerment of deprived segments of the society, especially women and children, since 30 years now. One of their primary objectives is to conduct intervention and rehabilitation program for the mentally challenged, with an intention of making them self reliant by involving family and community.

Extremely low social awareness about the lives of those affected with mental disabilities resulted in them being deprived of the basic right of education. The organization’s mission is to train and educate such children, benefitting over 300 children so far. The key reason for this success has been the introduction of training in pre-vocational skills such as time & money concept, adaptive skills and vocational trade, which enables the children to become independent.

RMKM has successfully introduced innovative areas of self-reliance, where students with mental disabilities are being trained in Vocational Trades –

Woodcraft Unit: This year the organization has developed few new products in this unit that are getting good response from the market. Three physically disabled instructors work in this unit and guide the special children to perform their job duties.

Stationary Unit: In this unit, the students are trained to make stationary products. Currently there are 7 types of products that this unit is making. The students do the pasting, assembling, finishing, packing, folding and cutting work of stationary products. It is unbelievable that last year itself the students have prepared 1,000 greetings card and other stationary items.

Deco Craft Unit: In this unit, the students are trained to make craft décor products. Presently in this unit, trainees develop 6 types of products for sale. The organization has plans to include more products that cater to the demands and trends of the market.

Computer unit: Students are trained in basic skills in computers, including those that would help them in their livelihood and day-to-day management of money and time.

Vibha has been funding the RMKM project since August 2003. The funds are effectively used towards part of the day care program of the project, and other Community Based Rehabilitation programs (CBR).

The CBR program provides home based intervention facility for mentally challenged children whose status prevents them from attending the day care center. A specially trained teacher visits these children at their homes every fortnight. There are currently 165 children in the CBR program. The CBR workers identify a trainer within the child’s home, and train them in rehabilitation methods. The parents are counseled if needed and the child’s progress is monitored. Many children have been rehabilitated so far and are working in private shops, services and income-generating activities provided by the Day Care Center.

The CBR program was re-launched with Vibha’s funding after it had received a setback and closed due to lack of funds. RMKM has even extended its CBR program in rural area with the support from VIBHA.

Your support travels miles to urban and rural areas of Rajasthan to help a child who wouldn’t have known the meaning of being self-reliant. And it wouldn’t have been possible if you hadn’t chosen to make a difference!

This is the message that we have to pass on to our future generations. We see many children who are struggling to cope with loads of coursework to remain in the rat race. Their stress levels increase exponentially if they don’t get the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities. Same is true for people who work full-time. They seldom find the time and the right avenues to explore and express their talents. Oh, so did anyone realize they needed a break!

The Vibha team invites you to unleash your creative potential, to rekindle your love for art and creativity through painting, story writing, essay writing and photography. That is what this unique ONLINE competition Kalakaar is all about. Kalakaar is a Hindi word that means ‘Artist’ – someone who can express himself or herself through any creative pursuit. Kalakaar aims to add a splash of color into your lives by giving you a creative outlet. Participation in such a competition nurtures these skills and definitely aids in the overall development of a child.

Kalakaar-2009 had a humble but encouraging start with 40 participants from India and the US. Last year's success has motivated our volunteers to conduct this year's event with even greater enthusiasm.

Take a peek into last year's winning entries.
Children are always asked what they want to be when they grow up, to identify what they like to do and to pursue their dreams. This was the key to decide topics for this year’s painting competition - The Future and My Dream. A child's imagination has no boundaries, can be wild and run to unimaginable distances and so the topic for this year’s story writing is "I saw a big lion in my classroom" and "When I met Harry Potter".

There are many people in different professions who share a common love for photography. To give them a chance to show us their talent through the lens of a camera, Innocence, Heaven on Earth and Oh! I can almost smell it, are the topics for this year’s photography competition.

The Essay competition is being conducted with the aim of bringing out valuable opinions and thoughts on topics such as Educated World, One Nation One Earth and Hope.

As you might have already noticed, the best part about this competition is that it is completely ONLINE! You can participate right from the relaxed atmosphere of your own homes. By participating in Kalakaar you can make a significant difference in the life of a needy child who will benefit largely by your contribution. You can brighten the life of a child by simply registering and sending your entries for a very nominal fee.

So HURRY! Send in your entries to kalakaar@vibha.org. You can scan the paintings and story in PDF format and email them too. Winning entries will be posted on Vibha's web page and winners will be awarded trophies!

For further details about the competition, please visit http://kalakaar.vibha.org/

Children Toy Foundation is the only organization of its kind in India working for the Right of the Child to play. It not only aims to educate children beyond reading and writing, but also aims to help them acquire real skills and develop a positive attitude. It instills a sense of pride in these children and encourages them to interact confidently with the environment. For doing this it uses the potential force of toys and games to mold the character and temperament of the young ones and hone their latent talent.

Vibha has been supporting CTF since 2005 and since then has played an instrumental role in supporting CTF’s toy/game educational program at Mumbai, India. Recently, the dedicated efforts of the CTF founder, Mr. Devendra Desai, were honored by a distinguished corporate organization. He was awarded the ‘Big Mumbaikar’ award, which is a testimony to the positive impact his efforts have had on the society. Vibha congratulates Mr. Desai and the entire CTF team on this great recognition.

Your feedback is important to us. Vibha welcomes any comments, suggestions or questions you may have about our projects, programs, products, monitoring etc. If you are particularly interested in a topic and would like to see Vibha showcase it please let us know.

Together, we can do much more!

Dream a Little! Do a Little!

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; 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.