HOPE School for the Disabled
HOPE School of Durgapur is one of a very few special education institutions in India. Their student population consists of handicapped children and young adults with a wide variety of challenges -- sight, hearing, mobility, learning ability, etc. Shadhika worked with Mrs. Mukherjee, Director of the facility, helping her develop a proposal aimed at rendering a number of promising pupils self sufficient by providing a vocational training program for them. Shadhika is financing the purchase of equipment and the salaries of vocational trainers who will teach tailoring, spinning, and weaving skills to young women and men showing potential.
Handicapped young people are traditionally kept at home and are not given a chance to become contributing members of society. We hope to make a small difference by helping a few young people distinguish themselves, and perhaps to create a model showing that it is possible for the handicapped to succeed.