Support Education of Children With Special Needs

The Special Care Centre was established to provide hearing impaired and intellectually disabled children with customized education. The building in BKC, Mumbai, features state-of-the-art infrastructure such as hearing aid-equipped classrooms, occupational and physiotherapy rooms, a library, a clinic and other such facilities. Today, the Centre houses a school which offers disadvantaged children a holistic academic curriculum and numerous extra-curricular activities. Most students hail from the impoverished communities of Bandra and nearby slums, and would otherwise not have access to quality education. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the families of these children, with most of them incurring a loss of livelihood. In the midst of the financial debacle, they are forced to brave the effects of the pandemic in abject poverty, in often cramped houses with poor sanitary conditions. These children have had to miss out on attending school, which poses a threat to their personal development and growth. A lot has changed ever since the 1st wave, as well as the 2nd wave of the pandemic has been upon us, and children are one section of the population that have been hit the hardest. Understanding the gravity of the situation, STCI decided to roll out virtual classes, right from June 2020, with the intention of ensuring that children of the Special Care Centre could continue with their classes, interact with their peers and teachers, from the comfort of their homes. Since last year, we have engaged our students in a range of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, to keep them engaged at home, apart from a dedicated focus on ensuring their continued education. We urge you to step forward and donate, to help such children access continued education and support, even in these testing times.