Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled

Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled is engaged in empowering persons with disabilities and the underserved in socio-economic-cultural fronts through its various initiatives on Education, Livelihood, Environment, Health and Nutrition, Sports, Arts and Culture and Rehabilitation. Educate, Enable and Empower are the watch words of the Trust.

Major Interventions:

Education: The NGO’s motto of inclusivity is greatly emphasized in its establishment of Barrier-free Residential Schools wherein education is provided at primary and high school levels along with higher education support to children with disabilities and the underprivileged. It also runs a special school for children with intellectual disabilities, equipped with state of the art infrastructure, teaching and learning aids, facility for physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Inclusive education support includes home tuition, teacher training, assignments, online classes, counselling, day care, sponsorships

The tinker labs, science centres, stem education, smart classrooms, remote learning services is piquing interest and motivation among school children, bringing them out of online school hibernation. Hundreds of school children from remote rural districts, who have barely seen the insides of a school, are provided with home tuitions and learning support.

Health & Nutrition: With an aim to prevent malnutrition, Samarthanam, with its Mid-day Meal programme is making an effort to beat classroom hunger adding various benefits to school children including improved appetite, nutrition, and their overall well-being. As part of the Covid relief campaign; Food, groceries, medical supplies, oxygen, masks, ICU beds, health kits, vaccinations, and many necessities are given to people, organizations, offices, hospitals, and frontline workers.

Livelihood & Skill Development: Samarthanam helps the disabled Youth to create an honourable livelihood by upgrading their skills and earn a living. The Resource centres support the disabled youth with necessary mobilization, training, grooming and confidence building, escorting them into the job world to lead their independent lives. While skill building and training help the youth enhance their skillset, various additions like motivational sessions, mock interviews, personality building, volunteer interactions, exposure visits and so on, buttresses their overall profile. Job Fairs were conducted which is an ideal platform for employers to hire new talents and restore employment for youth with disabilities.

Sports & Cultural Activities: Sunadha is the disabled artist’s troupe, an exceptional ensemble bringing dance and music to life. The artists deliver performances across the globe in classical music, classical and folk dance, and musical instruments with increasing recognition each year. Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), the cricketing arm of Samarthanam, fosters the game of blind cricket and the visually impaired players across India.