Reality Gives is launching two new Connection Projects. Besides an Acupuncture Clinic in Dharavi, we will also support a Day Care Centre for Disabled children in Dharavi, which is run by the community-based NGO CORP. In Dharavi, children born with a physical disability are at risk for infanticide or abandonment. Families struggle to find the time and the resources to meet these children’s needs. CORP’s programme for the physically challenged was initiated 20 years ago with the mission of helping these children to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce the burden on their families. CORP does this through education, health, and empowerment activities.
We would like to introduce to some of the beneficiaries of CORP, so you get an idea of how big the impact of this program is.
My name is Naznin! I have a brother and a sister, and my father is a vendor. I have been coming to CORP’s centre for 8 years because of my physical disability, which has not allowed me to walk. With CORP’s help, I managed to receive surgery at Somaiya Hospital, and now I can walk with the help of crutches. Today I go to a Special School and I am in Std. 6th!
Namaste! I am Meghana, and I was born on the 13th of May 2000. I have 1 brother and 2 sisters who go to school. My mother takes care of the house while my father is a cleaner, but due to the unhygienic nature of the work, he got addicted to alcohol. Despite counseling, my father is still unable to quit, but I pray to God to help my father stop drinking alcohol for good. My father’s earnings are very meagre to cope with the family expenses. I go to Lions Club Special School for the Hearing Impaired. I am in Std. 4th, and as I am fond of dancing, I also take part in various activities. Meeting CORP has supported me through difficult times, giving me the motivation I needed to achieve my dreams.
I am Shivam Sangbandharum, and I was born on January 30th, 2006. I am in Senior Kindergarten: I like studying and playing games. I have a sister. My father used to be a janitor, but due to the difficult conditions of his job, he started drinking alcohol. Because of this situation, he had to leave his job and find a new one, which is on a contract basis and is better for his health. Now, my father does the checking of luggage at the toll junction, but the salary is still too low to meet the family’s needs, especially because my mother is a housewife. I have a handicap on my right-hand side and I had to be treated both for my leg and hand at Haj Ali Hospital; to be completely self-sufficient I will undergo further treatment but now I have the motivation to continue my studies because, thanks to a pair of new special shoes provided by CORP I can walk properly and I can lead a better life.
My name is Ram and I’m nine. My father works as a helper at Plasticware Manufacturing Company. Also, during his spare time, he sells vegetables at the market. Due to financial constraints, it is difficult to make ends meet. My mother is hardworking and takes care of me and my twin brother, Shyam. We stay in a rented house. Sadly, I have multiple deformities, and I was born with a slight mental deficiency. Also, I am spastic from below the waist. However, after I underwent tongue surgery, I can speak sparingly, and thanks to therapy, I can move my limbs! Now I am attending a Special School and I am progressing in my studies; this really gives me a strong motivation to keep working hard!
I was born with a physical disability that did not allow me to walk, and since my father died when I was young and my family is poor, I thought I had no chance to change my life. However, thanks to the operation performed on my feet and financed by CORP, I can now walk, even though with calipers. This has given me enough strength and will to believe in myself that I have sat and passed my TY BCom Exam, and I found a job in a call centre. It’s like climbing the ladder to success!!! Together with my happiness, there is also that of my family, overjoyed for my success since they never dreamt of me achieving so much in spite of all the difficulties I have had to face.
I am a physically challenged boy, and not being able to walk has prevented me from doing many things. This made me feel different and took away all my motivation to work in order to build a better future. Then CORP provided me with callipers and this has changed my life and my goals: now I can walk and I have also managed to go back to my studies and complete them; I also took a training course and passed the BScIT Exam. I like IT so much that I am currently doing a Graphic and Web Design and PHP course, and I hope to be able to find a good job in the future. Right now, I can say that my experience has taught me a lot, and I hope it will be useful to someone else one day.
