Empower SHGs: Women & PeoplewithDisabilities

Aaina is operating 2 school based bridge centers at Nilachakra Nagar Primary School and Chandrasekharpur primary School in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, for children with disabilities. These Bridge Centers are a step towards need based extra academic support for children with disabilities enrolled in government school. The course involves-

• Understanding the present  level of educational achievement and the academic gap of children to create an environment for  inclusive education
• To provide necessary academic support to fill the identified  gap to match with curriculum

After detailed survey and data collection 15 children have been identified and are being provided extra academic support and friendly environment by special educators and volunteers  once a week. The teachers of the school have been very cooperative in the process. At times they even call students from home to be a part of the bridge course.  

Children with Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, Hearing and Speech impairment, and Autism are being supported through bridge course currently. Special educators visiting the bridge center have observed specific learning limitations among the children. For example the children studying in standard III may write alphabets from  A to Z when asked to do so. but most of them do not know what the letter means. Children with hearing impairment do not know the sound an alphabet produces.

The efforts have been initiated and the process has just begun. There is strong shortage of funds to scale up and replicate the process at other schools! The objective is to cover at least 60 children in 1 year but only 15 children have been covered so far and they too need to be visited more frequently. We strongly request you to fund the project and support children with disabilities retain academic education.  

Thanks so much!!! Be generous in sharing the link with your friends and take the great work forward.