Educate 200children with disabilities in Bangalore

 Dear Donors, Friends and Well-wishers of The Association of People with  Disability (APD).

We are glad to submit to you the quarterly report of our Education Program for  Children with Disability.  

Thanks to GlobalGiving community for your generous support for educating the children with disability. The donation raised through GlobalGiving website helped us to provide mid-day meals, books, uniforms, healthcare, transportation, Hearing aids and special coaching supplement to children with disability. Their medical rehabilitation, an integral part of their development, is ensured through regular medical check ups, physiotherapy and use of mobility aids.

The Education Programme at APD aims at promoting inclusive education through focused institutional and district programs and networking with government agencies, NGOs, special and mainstream schools

The Shradhanjali Integrated School (SIS)  of APD has 180 children on roll, for the Academic Year 2012-2013. These children are from under privileged segment .The school aims in helping these children join mainstream schools after giving the support required. This is a day school and we have two buses that pick up children every morning and drops them back home. The focus at SIS is on activity-oriented learning.  The school offers a good resource center and library.  Co – curricular activities like painting, quiz competitions, sports, cultural festivals, and arts and crafts ensure all round development.

Some of the major activities during the last three months are given below for your kind information.  

Key Highlights for the month of  November 2014 , Decmber2014 & January 2015.

November 2014

The month kick-started with the Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations, on 7^th November where the children participated in various cultural activities to celebrate the spirit of Karnataka. On 11^th November, a meeting was organized for the parents of children from Nursery to Standard VII to discuss the academic progress of the children as well as the safety measures required.  A Dental check-up was organized for 184 students on 12^th November in association with Vasan Dental Care. Children’s Day was celebrated on 14^th November with great fanfare. Teachers entertained the children through various cultural programmes and the children had fun participating in the various games that were organized.  Gifts and sweets were given to the children as part of the Celebration. On 19^th November, the Sports day for the Nursery and Preparatory Children was held with great enthusiasm and spirit shown by the children was commendable. There were various external visits that were done to expose the children to the outside environment. On 20^th November, the 20 children who study in IVth Standard were taken to IDBI Bank and were explained the basics of what happens in a bank. On the same day, 28 children from the Nursery were taken to the post office and learnt what happens in a post office. They were also thrilled that they were able to post letters to their parents there. On 21^st November,  20 students from Preparatory were taken to the APD Horticulture Department in Jeevanbhimanagar to see the plant fair that was organized there. 10 Children from SIS participated in an Art Competition that was held by an external body and 4 of the children won in the categories they participated in.

December 2014

The month started with an awareness programme organized about AIDS on 1^st December – World AIDS Day. A rally was also organized by the students to the various departments of APD. There was a focus on health in the beginning of the month and 182 children went for an Eye check-up organized by Vasan Eye Care. On 8^th and 15^th December, an audiology test was conducted for 45 students and hearing aids were provided as required.  On 10^th December, a general check-up was organized by Ambedkar Medical College for 50 students. After these check-ups, the children were given the necessary further follow-up and treatment.

 5 students also participated in an Art Competition organized by the Karnataka State Federation of Deaf and the winner was a child from SIS. On 9^th and 10^th December, 25 parents were taken to Seventh Day Adventist Kollegal for an exposure visit where a 2 day programme of interaction, therapy sessions and activities were conducted.

There were 2 sessions on therapy training organized during the month – one was held on 16^th December for 5 parents of Spina bifida students to explain how they can help their children with their daily activities. One was held on 22^nd December for the parents of children with cerebral palsy to explain how they can help their children with their daily activities. 18^th December was a special day for the children as Mother’s Day was celebrated by the Nursery and Preparatory Class children. A special awareness session on nutrition was held as part of the celebrations. On 23^rd December, it was Christmas celebrations at SIS with a lot of dance and music in keeping with the spirit of the season, and the children were overjoyed to receive gifts of their choice before the celebration ended.

January 2015

 School re-opened on 5^th January after the Christmas vacation. 5^th to 10^th January was observed as Road Safety Week and the focus was on making the children aware of the rules and regulations to be followed on the road. It was celebration time again on 14^th January, which was ‘Pongal’ or the Harvest festival in South India. The students were taught about the significance of this festival and a traditional dish called ‘Pongal’ which is made from rice and lentils which is made on this day was prepared and given to the children. On 19^th January, 27 students were taken to Vasan Eye Care for follow-up treatment. The children had been practising with a lot of enthusiasm and effort for their Annual Day programme that was held on 24^th January. 170 students participated in this grand celebration which was based on a Theme of Festivals of India. The dedication of the teachers and the efforts of the students really made sure that this was a memorable day for the children.

We need your help to spread the word! Please share this opportunity with your friends and contacts, especially those who are USA tax payers . Post a link to our project page on your Facebook page asking your friends to donate . For further details please feel free to write to me  shanigar@apd-india.org  or call me on  *Mob: +91- 9972450655*

Our sincere thanks to all of our Donors for their kind donations and love.  We shall submit to you more news in the next report.