About Shishu Sarothi in Ramkrishna Mission Road, Birubari, Gauhati

Shishu Sarothi has been working in the North East region of India, since 1987, on disability so that people with disabilities can get access to services, avail equal opportunities, and live a life of dignity. It is a non-profit voluntary organization, registered under the Societies Registration Act, in Assam. In 1997, Shishu Sarothi was granted land by the Government of Assam. Since this humble beginning, the organization has grown manifold, and today it is considered to be one of the foremost centers for people with disabilities.

Vision:

To create an inclusive society where children and persons with disabilities have equal opportunities, are empowered to participate freely and fully, and live with dignity and respect.

What we do:

Education: Education encompasses not mere literacy, but an ability to cope with different aspects of life, live independently and holistic development of each child. In Shishu Sarothi, we aim towards inclusive education by ensuring right to education and enhancing self- sufficiency for children with disabilities. We do this by:
• Giving special education classes to impart life skills training to the children
• Preparing children for mainstream schools
• Imparting special training to teachers
• Working with different stakeholders to promote empowerment of children with disabilities

The Center for Special Education (CSE) in Shishu Sarothi, is a day care center with different divisions that focuses on equipping children with disabilities live independently, and realize their rights. Also, the Disability Law Unit of Sishu Sarothi advocates the right to education of children with disabilities in mainstream school, if it has been denied.

Employment: Sishu Sarothi works towards increasing the work participation of people with disabilities in a barrier free environment. We strive to not only create space for people with disabilities in the public and private sector, and build their capacities, but also ensure change in the traditional mindset of people with disabilities that make them gravitate towards only government jobs, in an attempt to create more spaces in the employment scenario for people with disabilities. This is done by:
• Creating an enabling environment, which supports the needs and aspirations of the people with disabilities
• Engage closely with the private and public sector to generate awareness and remove social barriers
• Build a database on the employment scenario in the Northeast
• Facilitate and advocate employment opportunities of persons with disabilities.

In 2010, Shishu Sarothi launched its Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) to look after the employment prospects of the people with disability.

Awareness generation and advocacy: Awareness is the first step towards empowerment. This being the most important aspect in creating an inclusive environment, where all people are not only able to understand one another, but also have respect for each other. We try to build such a society through:
• The Disability Law Unit (DLU) of Sishu Sarothi is involved in spreading awareness about various legislations and welfare schemes for Persons with Disabilities, at the different levels of the region
• DLU also does pro bono litigation for economically vulnerable stakeholders
• Advocacy and awareness building is also being done through the program- “Creating Equal Opportunity Environment for Children with Disability” (CEOECD) in the Darrang district of Assam. The focus of the project is on early intervention services, home management, awareness and sensitization of the community and different stakeholders vis-à-vis the rights of disabled children.

Out-door services: One of the major components of Sishu Sarothi is its outdoor services, which includes early intervention and stimulation, multi sensory stimulation, physiotherapy, speech therapy, life skills training, parents counseling, experts consultation, inclusion and needs based referral.
Our work with the Government:
• Shishu Sarothi is the State Nodal Agency Centre of the National Trust in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Training/ Human Resource Development division conducts training programs approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) with an aim to create a pool of trained rehabilitation professionals in the region. We are one of the few organizations in the region, whose training programmes have been approved by the RCI of Guwahati.
• An orientation programme on “Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities” was organized by Shishu Sarothi in collaboration with Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority for orienting government officials of different departments on the need to have a barrier free environment for persons with disabilities.
• Various awareness programs, interface meetings for stakeholders in the health sector like Anganwadi workers, ASHA, ANM, AWW workers, PHC doctors and their support staff; stakeholders in the field of education including Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) resource teachers and volunteers, other government and private school teachers and principals; parents and guardians of children with disabilities and members of the community at large, are organized from time to time on rights and entitlements of children with disabilities.
• Regional Symposium on “Disability scenario in North East: Status, Challenges & Prospects ” was organised by Disability Law Unit- North East, Shishu Sarothi in 2012. The occasion was graced by Shri Mukul Wasnik, the then Hon’ble Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India and Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar, DoNER Minister and Shri Akon Bora, Minister of Social Welfare, Assam. It was an opportunity for key stakeholders working in different parts of the North-Eastern Region to come together and collectively raise all relevant concerns vis-à-vis the disability sector.
• Training was provided to mid and senior level Government officials at the Assam Administrative Staff College.