Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University

Prof.J.A.K Tareen, showing keen interest in the

products displayed at the International Conference

on Autism held at Pondicherry University.

Thiru. M.O.H.F. SHAJAHAN, Hon’ble Minister for

Education, Govt of Pondicherry and Mr John Kumar,

Vice Chairman, Pondicherry Municipality and members

of PHRT 167 visiting the Satya Stall at an Exhibition

organised by Pondicherry Heritage Round Table 167.

Mr Matteo Tricarico who is on a journey across

25,000 kms covering various countries to raise

awareness on disabilities, stopped over at Satya

Special School and spent time with the children.

We dedicate our work to

Dr Ittia Candy Sourindhrin (1942 – 2007)

Special Adviser, Satya Special School

&

Senior Consultant - Psychiatry

University of Glasgow, U K

“Working towards fulfilling your vision of a

holistic rehabilitation programme

providing affordable, state of the art rehabilitation facilities to any

child with special needs in Pondicherry”.

Enable not Disable

Abilities not Disabilities

Family based therapy not

Institutionalization

Mission

Our work:

Any Person with intellectual disabilities irrespective of the degree of disability, socio

economic condition and age.

Towards eradicating the stigma associated with disabilities especially intellectual

disabilities.

Empowering the children thereby making them confident and self-reliant.

Improve the quality of life through better health care and individualised

rehabilitation programmes.

Our Belief:

In transparency

In professionalism and dedication

In charity with dignity

Our Goal :

To establish a speciality center well equipped with not only the latest facilities but also

trained personnel, providing good quality, affordable , up to date education and therapy.

Vision

Change the current fragmented rehabilitation system into an Integrated holistic rehabilitation system

dedicated at improving the lives of intellectually disabled children through individual specialized training

thereby making social inclusion a reality.

SATYA SPECIAL SCHOOL has tax – exemption status in India, entitling donations

made to it, qualify for exemption Under Section 80 G of Income Tax Act , 1961.

Similarly „SATYA‟ possesses registration granted by Govt of India, Ministry of Home

Affairs under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 to receive donations and

contributions from Foreign Donors and agencies.

I am very happy to see the dedicated efforts undertaken by Satya Special School for the

underprivileged and needy children with special needs.

The dream of my good friend and a person of tremendous understanding of human

suffering, Dr Ittia Candy Sourindhrin is fast becoming a reality. The dedication and

commitment of our young executive committee members – Mr. Krishna Babu, Mr.

Madhavan, Mrs. Chitra Shah, Mrs. Bindu Modi and Mrs. Sita Ramkumar, the support of

the parents and well-wishers has been the sole reason for Satya‟s growth.

I wish the team, staff and children all success in their future endeavors.

Dr .V. Nallam

Founder & Patron

` Satya Special School

The year 2009-2010 has been one of achievements and growth for the Satya Special

School. We have come a long way from our humble beginnings in 2003 at the

Conference Hall of Nallam Clinic.

Over the years, the school has made relentless efforts and taken a number of unique

initiatives.

The enrolment began with just 20 children in 2003 and today we have 130

children.

Therapy – physiotherapy and speech therapy units have been established. The

facilities are accessible to any disabled child in Pondicherry and its surrounding

areas. Around 150 children have been benefited till date. As a matter of policy,

all therapies are free of cost for the children.

Hydrotherapy-The facility was started in June 2009 providing hydrotherapy for

10 children in the early intervention division.

It is noteworthy that all staff members in the therapy units are competent qualified

therapists.

Computer aided Education Division –This was started in our school as early as

2007 for children with special needs. Specialized user friendly software designed

for these children are used as a teaching aid. It is a matter of pride that 20 of our

children today operate the computer independently.

Vocational Training Division- Since 2003 children are being trained in

carpentry, coir mat weaving, printing, and making dried flower products.. Five of

Message from Dr Nallam , Founder & Patron :

Message from Dr Asha Oumachigui, President :

our adult beneficiaries have been able to find employment in an industrial laundry

unit.

Income generation programme involves the mothers as co-partners. .We were

awarded the BEST NGO in September 2009 for this Income Generation

Programme by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of

India.

Early Intervention Center has been started for children in the age group of 0-6

years. We have 30 children in this group where the mothers are trained as co-

therapists, thereby increasing their involvement in the child‟s rehabilitation

process.

Community based Rehabilitation – In rural areas, people do not have the

facilities enjoyed by those in the urban areas. In order to improve the lives of

disabled children in rural villages in and around Pondicherry, we at Satya School

have started Community Based Rehabilitation Programmes. A Mobile Therapy

unit which takes therapy, special education and rehabilitation to the door step of

the children in rural areas. Our first village center was started at Kodathur in

February 2010.

After School Division – This provides a platform for children with learning

disabilities to receive personal one on one guidance from the teacher.

In the near future our ambition is to build a 100 % disabled friendly special school.

The plan and implementation of the same, is being worked out. It will be the first of its

kind in Pondicherry with all in-built facilities for any child with a special need.

All this has been possible due to the commitment and hard work of the staff. I would like

to make a special mention of the voluntary services rendered by our Executive

Committee Members led by Mr Nallam Krishan Babu, Secretary, Mr Madhavan,

Treasurer, Ms Chitra Shah, Director, Ms Bindu Modi, Consultant Clinical Psychologist

and Ms Seetha Ramkumar, Co-ordinator, Special Projects. Our achievements wouldn‟t

have reached this level but for the support and guidance of our Patron Dr V Nallam, who

willingly offered us free premises to run the school in the first few years. Many friends of

Satya, funders, donors, philanthropists have contributed to support our work. Our

heartfelt gratitude to Mr L M Shah, Trustee, “The Grace and Gratitude Trust” for his

constant support and his brilliant ideas The Trust needs a special mention here without

whose assistance a number of our services who have never been possible. Most of all, the

parents of our school children continue to be very special. They have been an enormous

source of support and are playing an important role in the great strides made by the Satya

School. With the kind of support we continue to receive we hope the school grows from

strength to strength, touching the lives of these special children in our own unique way.

Best wishes!!

Dr Asha Oumachigui

President

In the last year, the early intervention

center has worked with 30 children

between the age group of 11 months to 6

years. The division has seen a huge

increase in the number of children visiting

Satya not only from in and around

Pondicherry but also from the adjoining

districts of Tamil Nadu like Cuddalore,

Villupuram, Kalakuruchi and Neyveli.

Most of the children are accompanied by

either their mother or a grandparent. There

is a lot of interaction between the mothers

and in some cases have become an extended network of support for the families.

“Swarnalakshmi was diagnosed as autistic with hyper activity at

the age of 3 years. She had severe behaviour problems like head

banging, hair pulling, fear of new people & loud noise. Everyone

said she was possessed by an evil spirit. Even some special

schools denied her admission. She would not sit for more than 5

minutes and was becoming a puzzle for us to handle. Since June

2009, she has been attending the Satya Early Intervention center.

I have seen a huge improvement in her behaviour

Today, she understands verbal commands and gestures. She also

plays and takes good care of her younger sister. She has stopped

banging her head and we now have hopes that my daughter can

become independent” – Mrs Nagajyothi, mother of Swarnalakshmi.

Early intervention has opened new doors to three of our children; Geethiga, Hari and

Ganesh now go to regular schools, making inclusion into mainstream society a reality.

EARLY INTERVENTION CENTER: (EIC)

10

25

45

72

0 20 40 60 80

2006

2007

2008

2009

Hydro thearpy

Occupational

thearpy

Speech therapy

Physiotherapy

mental

retardation,

14

Cerebral

palsy , 37

Autism, 2

Down's

syndrome, 5

Multiple

disability, 14

mental retardation

Cerebral palsy

Autism

Down's syndrome

Multiple disability

Many children on the autism spectrum have difficulty

managing sensory inputs such as sights, sounds, touch, smell,

height, depth. They may over react (hyper-sensitivity) or

under-react (hypo-sensitivity) to visual, tactile and oral input.

These imbalances in reactions are sometimes to the extent

where the child is unable to participate in typical life activities.

A team of Occupational therapists, Special Educators and

parents put together a sensory diet which is a planned and

scheduled activity program designed to meet a child's specific

sensory needs.

Launched in June 2006, the therapy centre has seen tremendous growth in the number of

children utilizing its facilities with funding from Dharma Association, France. The centre

has all the latest state of the art therapy facilities. The year 2009 saw more emphasis on

Speech therapy with the number of children seeking therapy almost go up three fold. A

few children attending normal schools but with speech related difficulties like

stammering, stuttering also attend the therapy center.

Growth of the therapy center over the years

TYPE OF DISABILITY TREATED

BY THE PHYSIOTHERAPY

DIVISION

Sensory Integration

Therapy Centre

Speech therapy :

With increase in awareness on the importance of therapy, the year saw a number of

parents take active interest in the speech therapy sessions of their children. The most

important goal of SPEECH THERAPY is to

provide state of the art therapy facilities free of

cost to the disadvantaged population to whom

these services are either not available

Rahul aged 2 years was a premature child born in his 8th month .As he weighted only 1.7kgs, he

was kept in an incubator for more than 45 days . Though Rahul‟s condition that he suffered from

cerebral palsy was identified at birth, his parent‟s did not know how to proceed or what to do as

such a condition was unheard of in their family. When Rahul came to Satya Therapy Center in

September 2009, he could not walk, sit or stand, he had poor balance and scan reports showed

damage on the right side of his brain. Rahul attends the physiotherapy session 45 minutes a day

for 5 days a week where his therapy schedule reads like this :

1. Mat exercise and stretching

2. CP ball and bolster exercise

3. Walker and Roller

4. Gait and posture with parallel bar

With the below knee Caliper and Splint provided to him, Rahul is able to sit, stand, walk and

kneel today. With the continued support and co-operation of his mother, Satya Therapy staff are

confident that Rahul would overcome his disability in the next few months.

or too expensive. The main area of focus is to improve the child‟s existing disability

through individualized therapy sessions there by making them as independent as possible,

as an important step towards social inclusion and acceptance. Around 45 children were

provided speech therapy this year. The highlight of the year was the introduction of group

therapy sessions for improving communication skills of the children.

Occupational Therapy :

Occupational therapy promotes the health

and well being of individuals who have

conditions that are mentally, physically,

developmentally, or emotionally disabling

by helping them to improve their ability to

perform tasks in their daily living and

working environments. This type of

therapy assists individuals in performing

activities of all types, ranging from using a

computer to caring for daily needs such as

dressing, cooking, and eating.

Though Pondicherry does not have

sufficient number of professionals practicing Occupational Therapy, understanding the

importance of this therapy in enabling children to develop skills for their everyday life,

Satya had started an OT division in 2008.

The therapist evaluates the child‟s

abilities, recommends and provides

therapy either in groups or individually as

per the needs of the child. The most

important aspect of this therapy is the

involvement of the family. The needs,

desires and values of the child and family

drive the direction of their assessments

and intervention. The focus of

occupational therapy intervention directly

reflects the child's and/or family's

priorities.

Alternative Therapies:

Right from its inception, we at Satya were

always aware of the positive effects of

alternative therapies. In addition to

traditional time tested therapies, this year we

concentrated on alternative therapies such as

dance, music, art, hydro therapy. The

response from both the children and the

parents towards this has only encouraged us

to continue these therapies for the coming

year also.

Dance therapy: A Group of 15 students in the age group of 15 and above with various

disabilities were trained under the Dance therapy program funded by You and We Trust,

Puducherry. Ms.Poojarini, a trained dancer

in Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi and modern

dance forms was the therapist .The hour

long session were held twice a week at her

dance school. “Touch Wood”.The students

were trained in techniques that help them

gain a better posture, balance and co-

ordination. Simple bodily movements and

group activities helped the children gain

immense confidence which was evident in

the public performances the students

participated in.

In addition to the above, all children between the age group of 6-15 years undergo

dancing sessions of 3 hours in a week .The children enjoy these sessions immensely and

actively participate in them.

Music therapy

2 batches of 10 children each were trained

on various musical instruments by Mr.

.Alex, a trained practicing musician

Though the Music Thearpy sessions

started only in Nov‟09, the children

gained tremendous confidence in playing

various instruments and some of them can

play a few basic tunes independently.

Satya is working towards having a

children‟s music troupe in the coming

years.

Art therapy

What started as an experiment in 2007, took form this year with a full time art

practitioner working with the children. The children learnt to play with colour in various

medium like paper, hard board, canvas etc. The colours used by the children directly

related to the mood of the child - with a happy child using bright colours and a troubled

disturbed child using dull /pale colours .

Hydro therapy This form of therapy was launched 2008, but

due to lack of infrastructure we were unable to

continue it. With the new school premises, a

basic hydrotherapy tub was constructed.

Around 20 children between 2-8 years were

give therapy once a week. The enthusiasm

shown by both children and parents made this

the most popular therapy among all the

therapy sessions.

No of children

2032

4552

67

98

130

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2003-

2004

2004-

2005

2005-

2006

2006-

2007

2007-

2008

2008-

2009

2009-

2010

The following aids and appliances were distributed for free to the children. Some of the

appliances were given by NIEPMD, Chennai while some were donated by well wishers.

With increase in awareness amongst parents, the strength of the school increased from 45

in 2008 to 70 in 2009. Understanding the importance and specific need of each kind of

disability, 2009 saw the creation of divisions based on the types of disabilities.

MENTAL RETARDATION division (MR)

This division was further divided into primary I & II , Care and management

group . In addition to regular academic and sports activities, this year the concentration

was on providing each child the opportunity to express themselves in the areas they

excelled.

Total number of children enrolled in Satya over the years

No Type of aids & appliance Number distributed

1 Wheel chair 2

2 Walker / rolators 6

3 Crutch

- elbow crutch 5

- under arm crutch 2

4 Calipers 10

5 Special Shoes (various size) 25

6 CP chair 5

Aids and Appliances

Special school

Number of students - Disability wise

69

35

13 105

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

MR

CP /

MD

Dow

n's

Autism

Slow L

earn

ers

Autism division: With the awareness

created from the Art for Autism

workshop, 2008 ; the number of children

in the school with Autism also increased,

calling for the need to create an

independent division. In addition to

academics, children were trained in

computers, art and pottery.

Down’s Division : Understanding the

needs of children with Down‟s

syndrome, this year academic classes

were incorporated into extra curricular

activities like music, painting and dance.

This group enjoyed the usage of

alternative teaching techniques such as

puppets, audio visual etc.

Cerebral Palsy division: This division aims at improving activities of daily living by

providing children with adapted modified devices in addition to physio and occupational

therapy.

Angalaparameswari‟s training at Satya

includes providing her with an adopted

modified spoon that helps her eat her food

independently. The modified spoon helps

her in improving fine motor skills.

Ranjith kumar could not hold a pen and has severe

problems in writing due to his uncoordinated

fingers. With an adapted modified pen, he is now

able to hold fine objects. This has helped him

improve his writing skills. He enjoys coloring &

painting with the adapted tool.

Disability wise classification of children

In order to bridge the gap between existing vocational training facilities in Pondicherry and the

demand for such activities, since its inception, Satya Special School has gradually launched

various vocational training activities. From traditional time tested training such as tailoring,

embroidery to unique programmes such as Coir mat weaving and Computer operations. The latest

being terracotta products, carpentry and block printing. Around 50 intellectually disabled adults

and 10 Mothers of PWDs have been trained till date.

CARPENTRY UNIT at SATYA:

The Carpentry unit was started in June 2009 with one instructor who has 25 years of

experience and an

assistant. 20 adults with

disabilities are being

trained here since then.

The working hours are 6

hours a day – Monday to

Friday and an hour of

yoga every day.

Number of students - Division wise

Vocational Unit (17)

Early Intervention (27)

Primary I

(15)

Primary II (14)

Down’s Division (10)

Autism Division (10)

Care & Mgt Group (6)

Pre Vocational Unit (18)

CP /MD division (15)

VOCATIONAL TRAINING at SATYA

YOUR WASTE IS OUR RESOURCE : A corporate house based in the city was renovating

their office set up and hence a number of partition boards were being discarded. We at

Satya picked these boards and converted them into special equipments that can be used by

our children. Since most of these equipments are available only in the metros, with the help

of inputs from the therapist, special educators and parents, the carpentry unit made

standing tables, CP chairs and balancing boards. The shoe rack and shelves made by the unit

was very popular among parents and well wishers. The unit for the coming year plans to take

orders for special equipment from other special schools.

Terracotta : Clay being used as a therapeutic

tool in helping fine motor skills of CWSNs

was not a new medium for the adult

beneficiaries to learn the art of making an

array of handicraft items with terracotta. 15

adult beneficiaries along with two parents

were trained by the Master Craftsman and

trainer Mr V K Munusamy. On completion of

training, the unit started to produce terracotta

animals, flowers and idols. They were very

busy during the festival season converting

terracotta lamps into beautiful stone studded

painted Diyas. It was a hot seller in our exhibitions.

Shoe rack made out of

discarded partition

board CP chairs made in the unit

Standing table used in the

Physiotherapy unit made by

the Carpentry unit

Block Printing : With Ms Sashi Chandrababu Naidu

as the trainer, 10 students and an equal number of

parents and siblings were trained for a week on various

block printing techniques. While the adult PWDs

mastered the art of making hand printed gift wrapping

papers, the mothers learnt printing on cotton and jute.

After printing, some of the printed materials were converted into cushion covers, table

mats and bed covers. The cushion covers printed with elephant motifs was a favouite

among all our visitors.

With job melas for PWDs failing to provide employment opportunities to persons with

intellectual disabilities, we at Satya have launched a series of IGPs aimed at providing financial

empowerment to the adult beneficiary. Products made under IGP

are:

Stationery products, Perfume candles

Home accessories – table mats, lamp shades

Terracotta products , wooden puzzles ,mats

etc

An important aspect of IGP is to use locally available raw materials and resources. Our products

are eco friendly and we are working towards ZERO waste (i.e.) – waste from one product

becomes the raw material for another.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY:

“Seeing my daughter create products of such nature was unbelievable. The other siblings now respect her, it has changed my family’s attitude towards her” – Mother of a beneficiary who

makes coir mats “I was impressed by the professionalism and commitment shown towards fulfilling the order. Such high quality products was beyond my expectation” – Industrialist who gave us our first

corporate order

INCOME GENERATION PROGRAMME : (IGP)

“Today we all help my son in his work. He takes pride in his creations, I have never seen him more happier” – Father of a PWD who makes wooden puzzles “It was embarrassing to depend on my father for my son’s medical needs. Through the IGP I am able to look after all his expenses. I hope to save some money too. I look forward to learning how to make new products in the future – an IGP beneficiary involved in making bags

1. Abilities Mela 2009 at Hyderabad on 2

nd and 3

rd May 09 Bagged order to supply 500

cloth bags for the programme organized for World Environment Day June 5th 2009.

2. Gandhi Shilpi Bazzar, Pondicherry : 11th to 20

th August 2009

3. Vidya sagar , Chennai : 12th and 13

th September 2009. Visitor from World Bank invited

us for an exhibition in their premises.

4. World Bank, Chennai : Inhouse exhibition 16th September 2009

5. Crafts Bazzar: Chennai, 18th – 27

th September 2009.A visitor to the stall, Ms. Arati

Monappa who runs a boutique - Serenity in Bangalore, invited us to put up a stall in

Bangalore.

6. Gandhi Shilpi Bazaar : Ernakulam, Kerala : September 19th to 28

th 2009.

7. Narus, Bangalore (software firm) : 30th September as part of JOY OF GIVING WEEK.

8. Serenity – Diwali stall – 1st – 3

rd Oct 2009. (Regular display and sale of Satya products ).

9. Diwali Stall at Wipro, Chennai (CDC5 office & LED division): 14th &15

th October 2009

10. Stalls on World Disability Day : Dec 3rd

: Wipro Chennai & Bangalore : 2 stalls in two

different office‟s of WIPRO, Bangalore.

11. University of Pondicherry : 29th to 30th December 2009 part of International Conference

on Autism. Henceforth all Conferences will use Satya Products as Gifts for speakers.

Stall at World Bank, Chennai

Wipro Stall at Chennai & Bangalore for

World Disability day Dec 3rd

.

Stall at Crafts Council

Exhibition, Chennai

IGP - Details of exhibitions participated

The CBR project of Satya was started in July 2009. After initial need assessment and

home visits to several families of PWDs, it was clear that rural villages of Pondicherry

remains untouched by NGOs working in the disability sector. The general awareness

about disability was very poor in most villages and inevitably the stigma and guilt

resulted in isolation or segregation of the mentally disabled child. Mentally disabled girls

fared even worse. Satya‟s plan for CBR was to reach the unreached. This was achieved

by opening village rehabilitation centers and the Mobile Therapy unit.

VILLAGE REHABILITATION CENTER – Kodathur : The village center

was inaugurated on 6th

Feb 2010 by Mrs Wilma Gastle and Mr Udo Gastle , Trustee,

You and We Trust, Switzerland who support the center. Mr Michel Berthet, President ,

Enfants des Rues de Pondichéry, France who donated us the Mobile Therapy Van also

graced the occassion. The Kodathur centre is a day care center and has 15 children with

various disabilities. The center has a physiotherapy assistant and a speech therapist in

addition to 3 Special teachers. All the children visiting the centre are provided free

physiotherapy, speech therapy and special education as per their IEP. Most of the

children in the centre have never been to school. One such child is Kandasamy age 10

years and diagnosed as CP with severe MR condition.

Hailing from a poor family of 5, Kandasamy‟s father is the sole bread winner and works

as a daily laborer. Due to Kandasamy‟s

condition, his mother couldn‟t take up any

job. Lack of awareness and the necessary

financial resources, led to the child being

left unattended. His inability to move made

him dependent on others for his daily

activities. Satya‟s centre came to his family

as a blessing. The centre has now provided

him with a wheel chair with which he not

only attends the day care but the other

children push him around the village lanes

– a sight he had never seen in his life.

While the physiotherapist works on his

limbs, the speech therapist teaches him to say a few words. The whole village is

watching the progress he is making and now begins to show keen interest in Satya‟s work

in their village.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION

During the CBR assessment, a number of CWSNs have been identified who need

intervention at home due to the severity of their condition. For the benefit of such PWDs,

a Mobile therapy unit was launched. The van was funded by Enfants des Rues de

Pondichéry, France with the support of Rotary Club of Pondicherry Central RI

Dist 2980 and Sanofi Aventis , France. Along with the necessary equipment and a multi

disciplinary team of a Physiotherapist, Speech therapist, Occupational therapist, Special

Educator, visit the rural and semi – urban areas to offer intervention at the doorstep.

The most important aspect is the involvement of the family members especially the

mothers as co-

therapists.

Mobile Therapy Unit

Door to door assessment

& identification of PWDs

Home based intervention by

therapist

Mr Michel Berthet, President, Les enfants des rues…de

pondichéry handing over the Mobile Therapy Van

document to Dr Nallam , Patron, SSS. Also in the picture

Rtn. Major Donor N Govindaraj, District Governor 2980,

Rtn. Lawrence, President & Rtn. Gunasekar, Director –

Spl. Projects , Rotary Club of Pondicherry Central

This year ARUNIM had 32 NGOs participating in Shilpotsav from across the country.

The parameters set by ARUNIM were on the basis of :

- Product quality in terms of market worthiness, pricing, packaging etc.

- Involvement of Persons with disabilities

- Sale value

- Capacity to deal with large orders & responsiveness.

- Following all instructions given for participation in shilpotsav

- Leadership qualities & participation in all ARUNIM recommended opportunities

for marketing and training.

“On behalf of ARUNIM, Satya Special School, Pondicherry won this year‟s best NGO

award. Satya Special School with about 50 adults with Mental Retardation and 10

mothers of PWDs has launched a series of income generation programs (IJP) to provide

financial empowerment to the adult PWDs. Other than traditional training programs. they

have launched new programs on terracotta, printing, stationary products, perfume

candles, home accessories, gifts and souvenirs and festival products. Their products are

eco friendly and generate zero waste. Their quality of products in terms of right price,

packaging and attractiveness has delighted customers at Shilpotsav. They have bagged

corporate orders and bulk orders and have managed a sale beyond Rs. 35000 at this mela.

AWARDS

Satya Special School, Pondicherry being awarded the Best NGO on behalf of ARUNIM at SHILPOSTAV 09 by the Hon’ Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri. NAPOLEON at New Delhi. (September 2009)

This make them the deserving recipents of this years BEST NGO award” – Ms

Thilakam Rajendran, Managing Director, ARUNIM

ARUNIM – Association for Rehabilitation under National Trust Initiative for Marketing is established as a non-profit society to serve the interests of its members through marketing initiative for the products made by persons with disabilities. It provides

opportunities to NGOs to market their products by participating in various fairs and art expositions through out the country.

SPECIAL EVENTS :

ANJALI – Children’s Festival

For the first time, a group of 10 children from MR divisions participated in “ANJALI”

- a children‟s festival held in Bhubaneswar, Orissa from 9th

– 14th

Nov‟09 . The Theme of

this year‟s festival was “ On the wings of imagination”. Started in 2001, Anjali is the

only national children‟s festival for CWSN‟s. In addition to cultural activities, the

children participated in various workshops like pottery, puppetry, sand art, music, dance

etc.

Cultural programme at the Anjali Children’s Festival

Satya’s children at work at one of

the Workshops at the Children’s

Festival

“ We learnt new things, made new friends everyone was very nice to us. It was

wonderful” –Eric Justin as member of the Satya team that participated in the festival

“My daughter has never travelled by train .I can never afford to take her even

up to Chennai leave alone to Bhubaneswar. I thank the school for giving her an

opportunity”- A parent of a child who was a part of the team.

Down’s Syndrome Week

One interesting program this year was

the “Down‟s Syndrome Week” from 21st

to 24th

October, organized with support

from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

Department of Education, Govt. of

Pondicherry. A two day workshop titled

“Innovative teaching methods : Using

puppets as a teaching aid for children

with Down Syndrome” was held on 21st

to 22nd

Oct ‟09 with Ms.Banumathi of

Pavai Puppetry Center, Chennai as the

resource person. 25 special educators

from various special schools in Pondy

participated in this workshop. The

sessions included hands on practical

training on making various finger, cone,

socks puppets. Ms Banumathi in her

discussion with the participants also

highlighted the need to make the class

interactive and interesting. She

demonstrated a story telling session

using puppets and also gave tips on

using this technique while teaching

CWSNs.

On 23rd

Oct‟09 as part of the Down‟s

Syndrome Week, Ms.Rekha

Ramachandran Chairperson, Down‟s

Syndrome Foundation of India, Chennai

interacted with teachers from special

schools on handling CWSNs. She

stressed on the importance of thyroid

testing and provided various examples

highlighting the need to use the medium

of art, music and dance in helping

children with Down‟s Syndrome. She

wanted teachers to look beyond

traditional methods of teaching and

wanted them to make sessions

innovative and interesting. “Being

different is being unique” – was the tip

she gave the Special Educators. She

also had a highly interactive session with

parents of Special needs children .Being

a parent herself; she shared the struggles

and achievements of her daughter who

also has Downs Syndrome. The story of

how Ms Babli Ramachandran, who is

now a professional classical dancer, was

highly inspirational to all the parents

especially the mothers.

Following day, a practical demonstration

session on therapy requirements of

Downs Syndrome children was held.

Ms.Sandya Special educator, Mathru

Mandir and a parent herself explained

teaching techniques that would be useful

in teaching these children. Physio

therapist from Mathru Mandir

demonstrated some of the therapy

exercises that need to be administered to

children with Downs Syndrome. This

program has paved way for the

beginning of information sharing

between Downs Syndrome Foundation

of India and Satya. New cases of

Down‟s syndrome and cases needing

expert opinion are being referred to the

foundation in Chennai for advice and

follow up.

International conference on Autism -

Social skills and Creativity was held on

Dec 29th

and 30th

, 09. Organized by the

department of Social Work, University

of Pondicherry, Satya Special School

was one of the co –sponsors of the event.

A number of international experts on

autism covered wide range of topics

from gender issues, to softwares that

could be used to teach autistic children.

This conference provided Satya an

opportunity to showcase its work

through a presentation titled “NGO and

autistic adults”. An exhibition

displaying products made by the

children by Satya under the Income

Generation Programme was also held

coinciding with the conference.

WORLD DOWN’S SYNDROME

DAY : Around 10 children were invited

to participate in the 25th

anniversary of

Mathru Mandir , an organization

working with people with Downs

syndrome. Held on 7th

March coinciding

with World Downs syndrome Day, the

event provided a platform for the

children to showcase their talents in

music and dance. For most of the

children, it was their first trip to Chennai

and they were performing on stage, in

front of a large audience, for the first

time.

WORLD SOCIAL WORK DAY – An

Ability Nite showcasing the talents of

CWSNs was organized by the

Department of Social Work, University

of Pondicherry on the occasion of World

Social work day. Children of Satya

danced, played musical instruments and

did a yoga demonstration. The event was

planned to exhibit the hidden potentials

of CWSNs and help them become self –

reliant.

INDIA WINTERIM Programme with

University of IOWA : For the third

consecutive year, students of University

of IOWA were at Satya for a three week

study abroad programme. This year one

Professor of Social Work and 10

students - graduates in social work,

nursing and law students took up various

projects ranging from redesigning the

Satya website to planning the School

building, adult group homes and usage

of gymnastics in training CWSNs. These

students brought in their experience of

working with the disabled in the US and

share it with the staff and parents. They

under took home visits to understand the

cultural and religious influences. A visit

to the village center gave them a clear

understanding of the living conditions of

rural India and their attitudes towards

disability.

Going by the enthusiasm & success we had

with the children in sports activities, this year

too we participated in a number of national

level and school level sports activities. As

part of team Pondicherry in Special Olympics,

several athletes from Satya participated in

badminton, cycling, volleyball, basketball &

cycling. Many of the schools athletes also

won gold, silver and bronze medals. This

provided them with the opportunity to interact

with a number of CWSNs from all over the

country and was a good learning experience.

We at Satya not only trained our children

in sports activities but also the staff. After attending the ACTP (Advance Coaches

Training Programme) held in Pondicherry, Ms Sita Ramkumar was selected as a

National level Trainer under the able guidance and training given by the trainers and

coaches of Special Olympics Bharath. She holds the distinction of being the only

National level trainer from Pondicherry. As per the requirements of SOB, she has trained

60 community level coaches and 40 state level coaches. These trainings have helped

professions working with CWSNs by imparting the right kind of sports training.

Volunteers at Satya : This year too Satya saw a number of volunteers mostly nursing

students, special educators and even therapists volunteer their time working with staff

and parents of Satya. Inspite of language barriers, volunteers , staff and parents enjoyed

this mutually beneficial interaction.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE :

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dr V Nallam Patron / Founder

Dr Asha Oumachgui (Con. Gynecologist) President

Mr Nallam Krishna Babu (Business) Secretary

Mr Madhavan (Financial consultant) Treasurer

Dr Chandrasekar EC Member

Dr Chidambaram (Con. Pediatrician) EC Member

Mrs. Maya Chandrasekar (Social Worker) EC Member

Dr Velumani (Neurosurgeon) EC Member

Mrs Chitra Shah (Social Worker) EC Member

Mrs Bindhu Modi (Clinical Psychologist) EC Member

Mrs Sita Ramkumar (Home Maker) EC Member

Mr Mukesh Kumar Jain (Business & Parent) EC Member

MANAGING COMMITTEE

Mr Nallam Krishna Babu Secretary

Mr Madavan Treasurer

Mrs Chitra Shah Director

Ms Bindhu Modi Clinical psychologist

Mrs Sita Ramkumar Co-ordinator, Special Projects

Mr Sherif Shaik Project co-ordinator

EARLY INTERVENTION CENTER Ms Renu Special Educator (EIC)

Ms. Ragini Asst Teacher

Ms Usha Asst. teacher

THERAPY CENTER Mr Senthil Coumarane Physiotherapist

Mr Sudhakar Asst. Therapist

Mr Kalaichelvan Asst. Therapist

Ms Mangayarkarasi * Speech Therapist

Ms Siva Priya Speech Therapist

Ms Mythili Speech Therapist

Mr Sivakumar Occupational Therapist **

Mr Baskaran

Asst. Therapist

Mr Suresh Asst. Therapist *

Ms Poojarini Dance Therapist**

Ms Visalastchi Art Therapist

Mr Alex Music Therapist **

SPECIAL SCHOOL Ms Ramya Special Educator (MR)

Ms Nirmala Special Educator (CP)

Mr Siva Special Educator (Autism)

Mr Kaniappan Special Educator (Down’s syndrome)

Ms Subastri Computer Teacher

Ms Nasvani Yoga / Dance Teacher

Ms Rajeshwari * Asst. Teacher

Ms Bharathi Asst. Teacher*

Ms Mahalakshmi Care Giver Care & management Group

Pre Vocational & Vocational Division Ms Satya Special Educator (MR)

Mr Perianayakam Vocational Trainer – Carpentry

Mrs Mary Vocational Trainer – Tailoring *

Ms Kumari Asst. Vocational Trainer – Tailoring *

Ms Jaya Vocational Trainer - Embroidery

Ms Kokila Care Giver

Mr Munusamy Terracotta Trainer ***

Ms Dhanam Coir Mat Weaving Trainer ***

Ms Shashi Block Printing Trainer ***

Ms Mutharam Asst Vocational Trainer – Printing

Community Based Rehabilitation Ms Viralakshmi CBR co-ordinator

Ms Deepanjali

Asst. Teacher – Kodathur Village

Rehabilitation Center

Support Staff Mrs Rajalakshmi Helper

Mrs Devi * Helper

Mrs Kamakshi Helper

Mr Prakash * Driver – Van

Mr Thiru Driver – Van

Mr Murugan Driver – Mobile Therapy Unit

Mr Nandabalan Driver – Omni

Mr Lawcer Van Helper / Office Assistant

* Left our services ** Part time *** Volunteer

SATYA IN THE MEDIA :

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY ABOUT US :

Ms. Elodie D”ANDREA, Fashion Designer, Article 23, France

Ms. Mirena Velkova, Mother of a CWSNs, Bulgaria

Ms. Anita Anderson, Special Educator, Sweden

Mrs Kavitha Amarnath, Home Maker

Pierre and Gaby Pfeiffer – Film maker, France

Mr Munnisamy Siva, Pondicherry

Ms KOWALCZYK Julie, Medical Student, France

DOWN OUR MEMORY LANE ……..

Hon’ble Mr Rangaswamy, Chief Minster of Pondicherry with the school

children – ANNUAL DAY celebrations in 2005

Madame. Sequy, Wife of the French Consul & Mr C S Diwedi,

Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry, Pondicherry & Vice

President, HCL Info Systems looking at the products displayed -

ANNUAL DAY – 2006

Dr S P Srikanth, Senior Superintendent of Police, (Law & Order),

Pondicherry distributing medals to the winner – SPORTS DAY

celebration - 2009

Dr S P Srikanth, Senior Superintendent of Police, (Law & Order),

Pondicherry , Chief Guest honouring Mr L M Shah, Grace &

Gratitude Trust for his gracious donation towards land for the school

- – SPORTS DAY celebration - 2009

Our Partners who have supported our projects :

Dharma International Association, France

ROTARY CLUB OF PONDICHERRY CENTRAL

RI DIST 2980

THE GRACE AND GRATITUDE TRUST, Pondicherry

YOU AND WE TRUST SWITZERLAND

&

PONDICHERRY