Project Umang
Project Umang
Total Grant Request: $22,500
When fate deals a cruel blow...
Disabilities of the mind and body are among the cruelest inflictions on human beings. They often beget further pain through societal ostracism and sometimes even hostility in a country like India which lacks awareness, acceptance and proper cure among the masses for the inflicted.
Mental disabilities and neurological disorders are worse, because a child suffering from these cannot even communicate the pain properly. Such children are severely discriminated against and those born into underprivileged families are thrown into a life of damnation because of their inability to mature into a source of income.
... hope fights back.
Umang, which stands for 'hope' in Hindi, was started in 2005. Based in Jaipur , India , Umang is a non-profit initiative towards the rehabilitation of children who suffer from disabilities of the mind. Currently, 130 students are enrolled at Umang.
- Umang fights to guide these children back towards the mainstream of society.
- Offers education, vocational training, physiotherapy and speech development through a highly qualified and caring staff.
- Seeks to raise awareness and offers counseling and home management services.
Umang... in person
One of our volunteers, Shankar, visited Umang in person, and had this to say:
"I realized that Umang is truly hope personified. The children are the soul of Umang. While they suffered from a variety of disorders, they shared one common trait - each and every child exuded positive energy and unassuming warmth. It was very endearing and I felt honored to be in a position to help these brave little soldiers".
Currently, Umang cares for about 150 children suffering from a variety of mental and nervous disorders. They fight the honorable battle with an inspirational leader and a team of highly qualified staff - but with shockingly limited resources and funds.
The specialized team at Umang consists of special educators, qualified academic teachers, physiotherapists, speech and language experts, occupational therapists, psychologists, artists and theatre experts, qualified vocational trainers, counselors, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons and pediatricians.
The remarkable feature of Umang is the infectious joy that emanates from the children that come there. At Umang, they find new life that fills them with sense of camaraderie and happiness that is visible on their innocent faces. Their warmth and their eagerness to 'become normal' is very touching.
Anand Charity at Umang
The focus of the project is to enable trainees with disabilities and mothers from poor households to break free from the vicious cycle of poverty and disability by:
- Setting up a an independent work-cum-vocational training unit for training in various skills such as stitching, weaving, handmade paper and cookery
- Establishing market linkages for the products manufactured at the work training unit for sales
Specifically, the money that you donate will be used for:
- Purchase of equipment (stitching machines, looms, cooking utensils, special furniture etc.) and raw materials to set up the vocational training unit.
- Industrial tours and visits for students at Umang
- Administrative expenses such as rent for premises, electricity & water bills etc.
- Salary/honorarium for training staff and stipend for students at Umang
Please donate generously to this project here.