PRABHAT EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Mailing address: B/1002, RUSHIN TOWER, OPP STAR BAZAAR, SATELLITE ROAD, AHMEDABAD 380 015

TEL : 91-79-26922662, (M) 98250 09427 E-MAIL : prabhat@prabhatedu.org web : www.prabhatedu.org

PRABHAT STARTED WITH WEEKLY A

ONE-MONTH SUMMER WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

AFTER THE WORKSHOP, PARENTS SAID “YOU CAN’T STOP HERE. WHAT WILL MY CHILD DO NOW?”

A MOVE TO COMMUNITIES

A SURVEY LED PRABHAT TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED. IT FOUND THAT MANY CHILDREN & FAMILIES IN THE CITY NEEDED OF ATTENTION AND SUPPORT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCRIMINATION AND FEAR.

BUT -- FINDING SPACE FOR PRABHAT WAS DIFFICULT. HOUSE-OWNERS DID NOT WANT ‘MAD’ CHILDREN AROUND.

EXPERIENCES DURING THE SURVEY

• SPECIAL CHILDREN WERE MOST OFTEN KEPT AT HOME, SOMETIMES NEVER LET OUT --- AND SOMETIMES EVEN TIED UP.

• PARENTS OFTEN FELT THAT THERE WAS NO HOPE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. SOME EVEN WANTED TO GET RID OF THEM.

• PARENTS WHO WANTED TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN A CHANCE HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO GO, WHO TO TALK TO, WHAT FACILITIES WERE AVAILABLE. SO SUCH PARENTS ALSO FELT THERE WAS NO HOPE.

FINALLY PRABHAT FOUND THREE ROOMS ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF A HOUSE IN MANINAGAR. THIS SPACE HAD BEEN USED AS A NURSERY SCHOOL, SO THE OWNERS WERE A LITTLE MORE OPEN THAN OTHERS.

PRABHAT NOW SERVES MORE THAN 100 CHILDREN FROM 3 CENTRES. PRABHAT REACHES OUT TO OVER 900 PERSONS THROUGH THE CENTRES AND THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAMME (CBR), WHICH SERVES THOSE WHO CANNOT ACCESS THE CENTRES BECAUSE OF DISTANCE, POVERTY, OR MOBILITY PROBLEMS.

PRABHAT HAS A TEAM OF 16 PERSONS. MOST OF ITS STAFF ARE VOLUNTEERS. PRABHAT HAS STARTED GIVING SMALL STIPENDS AND ALLOWANCES WHERE POSSIBLE.

NOW, A LITTLE ABOUT HOW PRABHAT WORKS, ITS SERVICES, THE PARENTS IN THE PRABHAT COMMUNITY, ITS NETWORKS, AND THE LEARNING PRABHAT IS TAKING INTO PLANS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS.

SECTION A: FIRST STEPSFIRST, PRABHAT OBSERVES THE CHILD IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT AND INVITE PARENTS TO BRING THEIR CHILD TO PRABHAT SO THAT THEY CAN SEE WHO PRABHAT IS WHAT IT DOES.

THEY MEET PRABHAT EDUCATORS, GET COUNSELING AND IF THEY WANT THEIR CHILD TO COME TO PRABHAT, FAMILY AND CHILD INFORMATION IS RECORDED.

AFTER ADMISSION, EACH CHILD GOES THROUGH AN ASSESMENT PROCESSS BEFORE PRABHAT DEVELOPS A CURRICULUM ACCORDING TO EACH CHILD’S OWN NEEDS.

PRABHAT CHILDREN ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF ZERO AND 26. THEY INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE MENTALLY RETARDED, WITH CEREBRAL PALSY, WITH VISUAL/HEARING/ SPEECH IMPAIRMENTS AS WELL AS WITH AUTISM.

PRABHAT CURRICULUM STARTS WITH MAKING ITS SPACE WELCOMING AND JOYFUL WITH AS MANY OF THE ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS THAT NORMAL SCHOOLS OF THESE AGES WOULD HAVE.

PRABHAT STILL HAS ONLY BASIC FACILITIES BUT SLOWLY THESE ARE IMPROVING WITH OUTSIDE HELP. EVEN PRABHAT’S MODEST FACILITIES GIVE MANY OF CHILDREN EXPERIENCES THEY HAVE NEVER BEFORE ENJOYED.

THERAPY FACILITIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT. SOME ARE PROVIDE AT PRABHAT. FOR OTHERS, CHILDREN ARE TAKEN TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS OR PARENTS HELPED WITH CONTACTS.

PRABHAT HAS FOUND IT VERY IMPORTANT TO GIVE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS THE FEELING OF A NORMAL SCHOOL. PRABHAT CELEBRATES SPECIAL DAYS BOTH NATIONAL AND OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND ORGANISE COMPETITIONS. IT HELPS SPECIAL CHILDREN JOIN COMPETITIONS OUTSIDE PRABHAT.

SERVICESEVERYDAY SKILLS ARE INCLUDED, LIKE HANDLING MONEY IN THE BAZAR, TAKING A BUS, AND HELPING AT HOME.

WITH ITS OUTSIDE CONTACTS, PRABHAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO ORGANISE OUTINGS EACH MONTH TO PLACES OF INTEREST IN AND OUTSIDE THE CITY, RESTAURANTS AND TO THE MOVIES. ALL THIS IS TO MAKE THESE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES FEEL THEY ARE NORMAL CITIZENS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. A 2 DAY ENVIRONMENT CAMP ONCE A YEAR

MEDICAL CAMPS FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS ARE ORGANISED

THE SUMMER CAMP NOW BRINGS IN OTHER CHILDREN FROM NEIGHBOURHOODS, ENCOURAGING INTEGRATION.

A MAJOR OF PARENTS IS ‘WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY CHILD AFTER PRABHAT? HOW LONG CAN THEY REMAIN HERE?’ WORRY

SO PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING HAS STARTED. PRABAHT WANTS TO MOVE INTO VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR OLDER CHILDREN SOON. IT IS NOW TRYING TO RAISE SUPPORT FOR THAT.

PRABHAT HAS ALREADY PREPARED CHILDREN FOR MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS, FOR ITIs AND FOR VOCATIONAL CENTRES.

PARENTS AND THE HOME ENVIRONMENT

INVOLVING THE HOME ENVIRONMENT AND PARENTS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PRABHAT..

THIS INCLUDES:

REGULAR HOME VISITS, WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT INFLUENCES NEIGHBOURS AND THE COMMUNITY TOWARD BEING SUPPORTIVE RATHER THAN MAKING THE CHILD FEEL USELESS AND THE PARENT FEEL HOPELESS

REGULAR MEETINGS ARE HELD BETWEEN EDUCATORS AND BOTH PARENTS (PRABHAT INSISTS ON BOTH PARENTS PARTICIPATING) TO REVIEW PROGRESS AND MAKE PLANS FOR NEXT THREE MONTHS. IN ADDITION TO GOALS FOR THE CHILD AT SCHOOL, PRABHAT ENCOURAGES GOALS AT HOME THAT PARENTS CAN MONITOR..

WORKSHOPS ARE HELD FOR PARENTS BY TEACHERS AND VISITING EXPERTS ON PARENTING, THERAPY, SPECIAL EDUCATION AND ON HOW TO HELP PRABHAT TO HELP THEIR CHILD.

PRABHAT INTRODUCES PARENTS TO GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES THAT THEY CAN ACCESS BUT OFTEN DO NOT KNOW ABOUT. THIS INCULDES BUS PASSES, EDUCATIONAL KITS, FROM THE SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN, STIPENDS UNDER SANTSURDAS YOJANA, MEDICAL INSURANCE FACILITY UP TO RS.1 LAC FROM NIRMAYA NATIONAL TRUST. PRABHAT TRIES TO KEEP PARENTS AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION & DISABILITY ISSUES IN GUJARAT AND IN INDIA.

NETWORKINGIN ALL THIS ACTIVITY, NETWORKING IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PRABHAT.NETWORKING BEGINS IN THE COMMUNITY. LOCAL SHOPKEEPERS, HOUSEWIVES, TEACHERS, RICKSHAW DRIVERS, SCHOOLS & COLLEGE STUDENTS, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COME IN TO HELP AND PROVIDE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES OF ART, CRAFT,SPORT AND MUSIC.

EACH WEEK, CHILDREN FROM THE WELL-KNOWN RIVERSIDE SCHOOL COME IN TO ‘BUDDY’ PRABHAT CHILDREN. HOPEFULLY,THESE SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL GROW INTO ADULTS THAT UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT SPECIAL CHILDREN AND THEIR NEEDS. THEIR FRIENDSHIP IS WONDERFUL NOW FOR MORALE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND ALSO HELPS TO ADVOCATE THE NEED FOR GREATER INCLUSION OF SPECIAL CHILDREN IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS. SIMILARLY STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT COLLEGUES ST. XAVIER’S NID INTERNSHIP/VISIT WITH PRABHAT.

PRABHAT NETWORKS WITH OTHER NGOs LIKE SEWA, JANVIKSAS, ANALA, UNNATI AND BPA TO BUILD ITS CONTACTS IN AHMEDABAD SOCIETY, LOCATE SPECIAL CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND GET THE KINDS OF SUPPORT THESE CHILDRN AND FAMILIES NEED TODAY OR IN THE FUTURE. ALL THESE NGOs ARE CONSCIOUS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND NOW HELP SPREAD THE WORD.

PRABHAT IS BUILDING CONTACTS WITH OTHER EDUCATORS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS WHERE CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES GO. THESE SCHOOLS ARE BECOMING AWARE OF SPECIAL NEEDS BUT THEY HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA. TO SUPPORT THEM, PRABHAT STARTS WITH SURVEYS, ASSESSMENTS, & INDIVIDUAL PLANNING. IT THEN WORKS WITH CHILDREN, TEACHERS AND PARENTS.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION (CBR)

COMPONENTS OF CBR ARE:· MEDICAL REHABILITION.· EDUCATION REHABILITION· ECONOMIC REHABILITION· SOCIAL REHABILITION· SUPPORT SERVICE· PUBLIC AWARENESS

WHAT PRABHAT HAS LEARNED

• ALWAYS BEGIN IN THE COMMUNITY AND KEEP THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED

• INVOLVE PARENTS AND FAMILIES AT EVERY STAGE, BY MAKING THE HOME PART OF THE LEARNING AND SUPPORT ENVIRONMENT

• MAKE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AS JOYFUL AND NORMAL AS POSSIBLE, WITH AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERACTION WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

• EVERY CHILD NEEDS HER OWN APPROACH & CURRICULUM

• ATTEND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF WHAT HAPPENS TO SPECIAL CHILDREN WHEN THEY BECOME YOUNG ADULTS. FOR THIS, VOCATIONAL AND MAINSTREAMING OPTIONS BECOME VERY IMPORTANT

• BUILD NETWORKS OF SUPPORT THAT CAN HELP THE CHILD AND THE FAMILY IN PRABHAT AND ALSO ONCE THEY LEAVE PRABHAT

PRABHAT’S PLANS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS

• STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY – BASED & HOME-BASED PROGRAMMES AS WELL AS TRAINING INITIATIVES

•MORE SPACE AND BETTER FACILITIES INCLUDING FOR THERAPY NEEDS. PRABHAT ALREADY HAS OVER 20 CHILDREN WANTING TO JOIN BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE THE SPACE OR THE STAFF.

• CAPACITY-BUILDING THROUGH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRABHAT EDUCATORS, STAFF & OTHERS

• SAFE TRANSPORT FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHOSE PARENTS CANNOT AFFORD TRANSPORT TO & FROM PRABHAT

• GIVING PRABHAT’S VOLUNTEER STAFF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH BOTH TRAINING AND SALARIES WE CANNOT NOW AFFORD.