Provide therapy to 50 disabled children in India

“Sharing our successful model of service delivery - reaching out, teaching and mentoring”  

The International NGO – World Vision (India) contacted us to conduct an orientation and training program for their volunteers. The objective was to create awareness and sensitization on early identification and intervention for children with disability and in particular intellectual Disability. World Vision is reputed for its worldwide services for people in low income communities but had ventured into working for the disabled in New Delhii. Since Samadhan has a well-established model of service delivery developed over the years and experience in dealing with the disability-poverty nexus in our target community of Dakshinpuri in South Delhi, it was an opportunity for us to interact with World Vision trainees and share our successful experiences as well as  mistakes so that these could be avoided .

The Training workshop was conducted from 24^th August 2015 to 28^th August 2015 and the participants were community workers who were already working with low socio economic communities located in various parts of Delhi but with no concept of disability at all. A total of 23 workers participated in the program. The majority of trainees were 12^th std passed and knowledge of English was rudimentary which was the same situation we confronted when we began services in Dakshinpuri 30 off years ago.

So, the focus of the training was a basic orientation on what is intellectual disability and present day perceptions to what it should be. The training program was conducted on a separate theme for each day. Professionals were on hand to answer questions and listen to queries and ideas from the participants.       Lectures were made easy to understand through videos and graphics

1. Introduction and causes of disability, early intervention & identification (prenatal, post natal and peri -natal)
2. Survey and its importance. Identification of affected families, Importance of training parents in home management.
3. Question and Answer sessions & discussions. Opportunities to interact with the mothers
4. Hands on work experience at our Early Intervention Unit,  Dakshinpuri Centre
5. Assessment and prevention of Intellectual disability

The  fun part was a role play conducted by Ms. Sarojini our own survey worker at SAMADHAN with about fifteen years of experience on how she conducts a survey and her strategy for visiting families, the relational skills needed and dealing very often with a negative and sometimes a  hostile reception.

Another aspect of the training which was much enjoyed and definitely useful was the  hands on experience of working with the children directly, which allowed intercessions with the therapists as well as the mothers themselves. It was both useful and enjoyable for both trainees and the children.

The program was facilitated by Dr. S.k. Bhatia, Consultant Pediatrician at SAMADHAN   and   Dr. Nagarathna, (Pediatrician) .Specialist in Early Intervention with active support from the hedas of our education and therapy service units.

A pre and Post questionnaires submitted by the trainees’ shows that they have understood the concept of early identification and intervention and have gained mush through the short 5 day session.  World Vision has expressed their need to conduct more training for their staff. All the participants were appreciative but to quote just one, it was the observation that though they had attended many such training sessions the opportunity to interact directly with the mothers, the teachers and the children and ask questions and learn directly from the mothers themselves the grief they overcame and the joy of the child achieving a milestone towards greater functionality was the most valuable lesson. This was echoed by the World Vision officer in charge as well.

What advice can we get from our donors on how to share the services we have developed. Surely there are ways to expand this to a larger target group of trainees” This is something we look forward to doing.