Amar Seva Sangam Ayikudi, Tamilnadu, India Update on project and Vote for Approval to continue as an Asha Star project under Asha Seattle Chapter 1

Profile Amar Seva Sangam was started in 1981 Amar Seva Sangam first took shape as a charitable organization, offering shelter to individuals with physically challenges. Founded in 1981 by Mr. S. Ramakrishnan, himself a quadriplegic, and grew under the ongoing leadership of Mr. S. Sankara Raman, who is confined to a wheelchair due to Muscular Dystrophy. The institution has grown to occupy a 30-acre campus and now serves 330 villages in the surrounding area 2

Asha Star Project (10/7/09) Approved as Asha Star Project in October 2008 Collected through Giving Campaign (including self donation of the primary project steward V. Meera) : $1500 With matching funds: $3000 Rs. 150,375/- utilized towards Sangamam School for Special Children Today’s Purpose: Update to the Chapter and approval to continue as Asha Star. 3

Mission & Vision Mission is Empowering the physically challenged citizens and rural women by establishing a 'Valley for the physically challenged and Women' as a Rehabilitation and Development Centre for the region and developing models for self-help initiatives by Educating and integrating the disabled individuals and women with the society for improved living conditions in the village Vision to establish a Valley for the Disabled, whereby physically/mentally challenged persons live in a pro-active society where equality prevails irrespective of physical, mental or other challenged with the rest of the society. It is a futuristic vision whereby Amar Seva Sangam plays the role of an enabling agent to get the physically/mentally challenged “equality of status, equality in opportunities and equality in access”. It is a society where people are identified as differentially abled. 4

Aims To involve the local communities in the decision making process To enable persons with physical challenges to become independent and assertive To extend the current physical rehabilitation programme to social and economical integration. To establish democratic people-level institutions for proper utilization of the infrastructure created in the Sangam and make it a “Valley for the physically challenged” 5

Primary Focused programs Education: ASSA offers a day-time elementary and middle school with six hundred students and forty fully-qualified teachers. Additionally, ASSA also offers education to children with developmental disabilities at the Sangamam School for Special Children. Home Care: The Live-In-Home shelters severely disabled children who require thorough care. These children are given accommodation, food, medical attention, a school education, and vocational training. A Home for the polio affected poor children with accommodation, food, clothing, medical care, appliances and education, all free Day-Care Centre for 65 Special Children to train them self-care in hygienic activities and basic literacy. The parents are also trained as to how to treat their wards once they are discharged Medical Care: ASSA facilities include an operating theatre, physiotherapy centre, and a small hospital. 6

Secondary Focused programs Village Based Rehabilitation (VBR) Initiatives – Creating awareness about disability, its causes and management by street campaigns, plays and other means of communication. – Prevention, early intervention, care-giving and rehabilitation those affected. – Formation of Self-Help Groups of the physically challenged, training them in vocational skills to make them earn their living. The Village Based Rehabilitation (VBR) Center, which operates in tandem with Day Care, assists individuals in surrounding communities through the Caliper Making Centre, Disabled Youth Training Program, and Post-Acute-Care Program. Nearly ten-thousand individuals have benefited from VBR. Day Care: Mildly disabled individuals from surrounding communities are transported into ASSA on a daily basis for school and other rehabilitation benefits. 7

Primary Focused Programs Rehabilitation: The Institution Based Rehabilitation (IBR) Centre, which operates in tandem with the home, has successfully rehabilitated several children from Stage I (crawling with wasted limbs) to Stage II (completion of corrective surgery, walking with fitted calipers/crutches) to Stage III (reintegration into the community). – The primary activities of the centre are the Caliper Making Unit, the Disability Prevention Program, the Early Detection Program, and the Early Intervention Program. Post-Acute Care Centre for the Spinal Injured was inaugurated in 2008; has at present 12 patients undergoing rehabilitation and medical intervention Vocational Training: The Vocational Training Centre includes six different facilities (Computer Centre, Typing Centre, Two Wheeler Mechanic- Training Centre, Note Book Making & Binding Centre, Tailoring & Handicrafts Centre, Spirulina Centre: Production & Marketing of high quality Spirulina). Individuals are trained to become autonomous workers in one of the six disciplines before being reintegrated into their native communities. 8

Awards and Recognition The endeavours of Amar Seva Sangam have been recognized by many quarters. Notable among them are: Bhatia Award 1994 The National Award 2002 Tamilnadu State Award 2004 Helen Keller Award 2005 National Award for Child Welfare-2005 One of the CNN Heroes out of 18 Awardees -2007, 12th Mahaveer Award-2005 for the Social and Community Welfare (more awards in as well – refer to annual report) 9

Abridged Balance Sheet Loaded Seperately 10

Site Visit – September 2009 Conducted by a volunteer in India – Contact obtained through a friend of a friend 11

Questions and Answers Do they serve the mentally disabled? – Mentally disabled – 67 inside campus; 75 day care -> – 50 -> home based selective; How many people served in each area – for ex, polio center? – Residential care – around 50; – After 4-5 years; Village rehabilitation center; and they come back to vocational training; how they are dependency is reduced; education, family support; Why only specific projects detailed in their proposal? – The proposal includes latest details but the brochure is dated. Do they pursue govt quotas for jobs for their students? – Quotas system are not reliable, very very less; – Quotas don’t work properly; – if 100 people are recruited, 3 are allotted for handicapped and these people don’t get it – mostly not qualified. After vocational training do they go back ? people; – 4-5 people – livelihood initiative per year; oriented towards living in normal life; – Rest of them-> study higher – Rest of them -> they will get into some kind of employment; – Some people get local employment; own business set up; other cities and get employment; 12

Questions and Answers What success metrics they look at ? do they move to next level in life ? how many ? over what period ? metrics and some stats help understand the scope of their work. (see inline in the some of the above questions). Do we evaluate the entire org ? or do we want to take a specific project ? Meera to choose. – A Home for the polio affected poor children with accommodation, food, clothing, medical care, appliances and education, all free. – Day-Care Centre for 65 Special Children to train them self-care in hygienic activities and basic literacy. The parents are also trained as to how to treat their wards once they are discharged. Village rehabilitation Program: – Field workers will do the service; empowerment; Respite Center – Parents and guardians of severely challenged children; Self-help (all disabled people); Amar Seva Sangam matching corpus – It means the amount of money invested in banks for Amar Seva Sangam corpus requirements. The interest money earned will be utilized for certain developmental activities of Amar Seva Sangam for which this corpus was created in the year

Prior Affiliation with Asha 14

Questions Vote for Approval 15