Manovikas Charitable Society

And now a bit about the organisation that I'm working with.......Manovikas was established about 13 years ago, principly by the current director. It has grown significantly over that time and now runs a variety of services for children with special / additional needs. There is a school for children under 14 with a learning disability and the aim for most of these children is to reintergrate them into mainstream school. So here they work on their academic and self care skills and an inclusion plan is developed. Manovikas then work with the mainstream school and provide ongoing support, once the child has transfered there. There are also a couple of small classes for children with more significant special needs, who will require ongoing specalist education. Children over 14 do not have a right to education, in India, so children post 14, with special needs transfer here from mainstream.

There is a vocational education class for children over 17 years, providing them with indepenent living, training and skills in order to gain employment. It is the development of these courses that I am currently working on. They have a small shop which has the primary purpose of being a "training lab" for the students - for them to practise retail skills and to provide somewhere to sell their craft work. 

There is a big emphasis on training and the staff here run courses for other professionals, care workers & parents on a range of disability and inclusion issues. In addition to the education, Manovikas provides accomodation to some of the school children and long term accomodation to some adults with a learning disability.

There is also have a "community advancement project" working with people below the poverty line in order to raise awareness and acceptance of disability and to signpost them to appropraite services. Although it receives a little funding from the National Trust (a government body) most of the funding is from school fees and fundrasing.

Two occupational therapists work here, so I am predominantly working with them and helping in the development of courses and resources. My full role is yet to evolve - but I am enjoying discovering what it will be.