Improve Lives of 90 Special Needs Boys in India

With the country under lockdown during April and May, the State-run Homes which U&I supports also faced problems, especially the shortage of food and hygiene supplies. But U&I was quick to intervene in the face of dire circumstances. 

The U&I team put together a detailed plan to help each of the Homes. After obtaining a government-issued transportation pass, we were able to supply the government staff in the Homes infrared thermometers and N95 masks. We also introduced creative measures to ensure that the boys keep to hand hygiene with a fun hand-washing song. The team also set up a protocol for guest entry in the Homes that includes temperature logs and hand washing.\

All four Homes were supplied with basic food supplies like rice, wheat flour, oil and other essentials.

Our team is in the process of setting up online classes to help with the continued education and training of the residents of the Homes. The initial few classes were met with a positive response - and the boys can't wait for more. 

While we may have to wait on setting up our Learning Centers for the new academic year, our team has been busy ensuring that the most vulnerable of our population are not forgotten.

There are about 75 boys at the Institute where U&I runs its Care program. Each of the boys has different needs - needs dictated by their physical, mental and emotional state. But the beauty of our program is that our staff knows these boys personally. They know how to make each child feel special. They know how to train each child so they become the best version of themselves. They know how to encourage each child in their giftings when it comes to art and craft.

Some of our staff have worked at the Boys' Home from the very start of U&I's operations. For nine years, they have been caregivers for these boys, most of whom have no way to verbalize their thanks. 

But our staff at the Home just keep on keeping on. From training the boys to cut their nails to creating woven jute mats, the U&I team has poured into the boys' lives.

For these children, this personal attention changes their world. Most of these children have been abandoned and, for them, the U&I team becomes their family. 

This Valentine's Day, let's remember that love comes in all forms.

Sometimes, the most unselfish shape it takes is in that of a social worker taking care of the smallest needs of a child who has no way of expressing themselves.

Thank you for supporting the needs of some of India's most vulnerable individuals through the U&I Care project.