Asha Seattle Chapter New Project Proposal April 2014 Amar Seva Sangam

1. Asha Seattle Chapter New Project Proposal April 2014 Amar SevaSangam

2. Amar Seva Sangam - Introduction • Mission : Empowering the physically challenged citizens and rural women by establishing a 'Valley for the physically challenged and Women' as a Rehabilitation and Development Centre for the region and developing models for self-help initiatives by Educating and integrating the disabled individuals and women with the society for improved living conditions in the village • Vision : Establish a Valley for the Disabled, whereby physically/mentally challenged persons live in a pro-active society where equality prevails irrespective of physical, mental or other challenged with the rest of the society. It is a futuristic vision whereby Amar SevaSangam plays the role of an enabling agent to get the physically/mentally challenged “equality of status, equality in opportunities and equality in access”. It is a society where people are identified as differentially abled. • Organization: Started in 1981. Amar SevaSangam first took shape as a charitable organization, offering shelter to individuals with physically challenges. • Founder: Founded in 1981 by Mr. S. Ramakrishnan, himself a quadriplegic, and grew under the ongoing leadership of Mr. S. Sankara Raman, who is confined to a wheelchair due to Muscular Dystrophy. • Location: Located in Ayikudy Village, 45 minutes drive from Thirunelveli Airport, in Tamilnadu. [Flight from Chennai, India to Thirunelveli is only an 1 hour]. The institution has grown to occupy a 30-acre campus and now serves 330 villages in the surrounding area. • Core Objectives • To involve the local communities in the decision making process • To enable persons with physical challenges to become independent and assertive • To extend the current physical rehabilitation program to social and economical integration. • To establish democratic people-level institutions for proper utilization of the infrastructure created in the Sangam and make it a “Valley for the physically challenged”

3. Amar Seva Sangam - Introduction • Several grants, donors and loans and investments. Notable among them are: • Bhatia Award 1994; The National Award 2002; Tamilnadu State Award 2004 • Helen Keller Award 2005; National Award for Child Welfare-2005 • One of the CNN Heroes out of 18 Awardees -2007, • 12th Mahaveer Award-2005 for the Social and Community Welfare • 2011, Rs. 25 lacs distributed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Ex- President of India. • 2012 – Jindal Prize; Dhuruva Award to the Secretary • 2013 - KRIA Rotary Metro Exemplary Award to the Secretary • Today, Amar SevaSangam is a premier institution in the field of Disability Management in the country. • Strong performance in all of their activities in making the impact to the people they serve • Continue to have income less than expenses in the past few years given the increased expenses for all of their activities. Strong balance sheet. • Amar SevaSangam’s Website: https://www.amarseva.org/. • Asha for Education – Amar Seva Project Site: http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=1014 • Latest Annual Report (MUST REVIEW): • Latest Site Visit Report : http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/1014/Site%20Visit.doc

4. Amar SevaSangam –As of March 2013 Statistics

5. Amar SevaSangam–Activities • Rehabilitation Activities • Home Care: The Live-In-Home shelters severely disabled children who require thorough care. These children are given accommodation, food, medical attention, a school education, and vocational training. A Home for the polio affected poor children with accommodation, food, clothing, medical care, appliances and education, all free • Sangamam School for Special Children - Day-Care Centre for Special Children to train them self-care in hygienic activities and basic literacy. The parents are also trained as to how to treat their wards once they are discharged (also refer to slide 8) • Orthotics Center: Manufactures, Repairs and Services Calipers. • Medical Evaluation Unit for Disabled: Started with aid from Govt. of Japan, unit offers free of service to everyone who visits with a need for evaluation • Spinal Cord Injured Post-Acute care center, started in 2007 • SarvaSikshaAbhayam, A Central Government Project, which was allotted to Amar Seva to serve 7 blocks of Thirunelvi district under the scheme to provide aids to physically challenged • VazhikattumThittam(to show a path): Another Government scheme for servicing at the grass root level and Amar Seva serves 6 blocks of the district. • PudhuVazhvuThittam(new life scheme): World Bank aided TN government project managed by Amar SevaSangam • Rehabilitation Center for conducting various community activities for the challenged

6. Amar SevaSangam–Activities • Vocational Training • Tailoring, Toys, Paiting for the disabled • Notebook making • Wheel Chair / Tricycle section • Typewriting Center • Computer/Information Technology • Education • Nursery and Highschool • Sivasankari Public Library • Indra Gandhi National Open Universiry Special Study Center • Alagappa University Study Center • Education for Empowerment • Village Based Rehabilitation Programme • Help disabled individuals model their own rehabilitation responsibilities & help communities • Vibrant and proactive disabled communities have been formed and over 300 self-help groups have been formed • Coves 800 villages, 1.7 Milion population, 14000 disabled individuals in 9 blocks of the district

7. Amar SevaSangam –As of March 2013 Statistics – All projects Also as of March 2013, total # of persons with disabilities who got direct rehabilitation is around 1951.

8. Amar SevaSangam – Sangamam School for Special Children – supported via Asha Seattle

9. Site Visit by independent consultant

10. Asha STAR Collections • $4000 was sent out in early 2014 as part of one-time 2013 buffer disbursements • New Project Proposal