India
Volunteering with:
• Orphanages
• Street Children Project
• Education programmes
• Home and School for the Blind
• Physical and mental Disability Programme
• HIV / AIDS Project & Leprosy Programme
• Slum Community Development Project
SERVE supports projects in two locations in India. The majority of SERVE’s partners work in Bangalore and the surrounding rural area. SERVE also have an important partner in the town of Thodupuzha in the state of Kerala. The partners work in the following sectors:
Each of SERVE’s partners in India work with those who are most vulnerable in society. SERVE offers both financial support and capacity building assistance to help these partners implement appropriate strategies to offer hope and dignity to those most in need.
Association of People with Disabilities (APD)
APD has been working in Bangalore since 1959 to facilitate the needs of seriously disabled people, to recognise their potential and help rebuild their lives.
APD does this through medical intervention, appropriate education, vocational training and financial and emotional support. As 75% of India’s disabled population are located in rural areas, in 1989, APD began a ‘rural rehabilitation project’ which cover 150 villages directly and 100 villages indirectly by networking through local authorities. APD focuses its work on networking and advocacy, skills training, education and employment, therapeutic Services and wheelchair services provision. SERVE supports APD’s rural rehabilitation programme by helping to construct rehabilitation facilities and provide essential equipment and training.
For more information on the work APD carry out at promoting the rights of people with disabilities in India visit http://www.apd-india.org
Jyothi Seva Home for the Blind, Bangalore
The Jyothi Seva society is dedicated to the education, rehabilitation, and care of visually impaired children. It achieves this through primary education of children which delivers the standard curriculum alongside skills training for the visually impaired which includes classes in Braille, mobility and computers. Jyothi Seva also offers a home and vocational training for visually impaired children, while also providing for extra-curricular activities in music, theatre, arts and crafts.
SERVE has provided funding for an essential vehicle and sight aids for the children.
Morning Star Learning Centre, Bangalore
Morning Star is a centre for hope and learning that was formed in wake of the poverty and hopelessness that is faced by many children in Bangalore, a city where many children can be found living on the streets often being forced into child labour. Morning Star offers these children a home where they live together, interact and receive a good education. They are also provided with necessary tools for study and give a chance to move on to further study or enter employment.
SERVE, through Redemptorists structures and with financial support from Misean Cara and in partnership with Morning Star are advancing an ambitious project to build a new residential wing to the current centre to enable continuous care to an increased number of young people.
Summanahalli, Bangalore
Summanahalli is a leprosy and HIV rehabilitation centre in Bangalore. This centre works to fully integrate those who have been affected with leprosy into mainstream society through treatment, education and employment. In order to develop employment prospects they also actively educate and engage in skills training. Summanahalli realise the difficulties faced in full reintegration of those who have suffered with leprosy and has established three manufacturing units which produces candles, leather goods and garments.
Sumanahalli also provides services for those with HIV by providing both ART reatment/rehabilitation and life-skills training for people under its care.
SERVE are supporting a house building programme for families affected by leprosy, and have supported HIV medical and skills training initiatives at Summanahalli.
Divyarakshaka Social and Charitable Society and the Mother and Child Foundation, Kerala
India has many challenges when it comes to mental illness. Many mentally ill persons in India have been rejected by their families or excluded from their communities as a result of the terrible stigma that is associated with mental illness in India. Divyarakshaka is a social and charitable, society based approximately 4km from the small town of Thodupuzha in Kerala state. Divyarakshaka works to care for mentally ill men who have fallen victim to the stigma of mental illness which has rendered them homeless and has excluded them from their families and communities.
SERVE are working with Divyarakshaka through the Irish and Kerala Redemptorists and with support from Misean Cara to develop the physical infrastructure in order to provide improved living conditions for homeless mentally ill men. SERVE are also committed to an occupational rehabilitation programme and an income generation programme to empower the men to live independent lives.
At the Mother and Child foundation, which is situated approximately 1km from Divyarakshaka, a home is provided for women and children. These women are often single mothers or mothers abandoned by their husbands and families, who are unable to look after themselves, and would otherwise be living on the streets. Some of these women also have mental disabilities. Many of the children are orphans who would otherwise be homeless. Mother & Child Foundation works to provide shelter, education and skills training to these groups.
In both Mother and Child Foundation and Divyarakshaka, SERVE is working to implement best practice in the area of child protection and those suffering from mental illness. SERVE also supports advocacy initiatives to help change attitudes towards those with mental illness and also single mothers and their children.