Manhit App: An Initiative for Mental Health and Wellness
Mental health in India is a significant concern, with a substantial portion of the population affected by various mental health disorders. According to the National Mental Health Survey of India (2015-16), approximately 10.6% of the Indian population suffers from mental health disorders. This includes common mental disorders like depression and anxiety, as well as severe […]
Arpan – A multi-pronged approach to Child Sexual Abuse in India
Pooja Taparia is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arpan. She has spearheaded the movement against Child Sexual Abuse in India and currently leads a team of over 120 passionate, dedicated & empowered individuals. Pooja started work on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) when there was no narrative on this subject in India. Her journey […]
A home for specially abled children
The Kollam district panchayat has envisioned a unique concept to provide a safe atmosphere for autistic children and their parents. It plans to develop a special village — called Aardra Theeram — to accommodate families with kids on the spectrum. The programme is intended to improve the children’s lives through best practices and family-centered, all-encompassing […]
A visionary for mentally handicapped
At a time when special schools and day-care centres were less accessible to the average citizen, an institution was set up in 1997 with the long-term vision of the care of differently-abled adults. The Association for Mentally Handicapped Adults (AMHA), in Karyattukara, Thrissur, was established by former college professor P Bhanumathi as a residential facility […]
Ashray: A home built for specially abled
Anil Joseph knew from a very young age that he would do something to give back to society. So, when he completed his diploma in special education in 2002, he started looking for the right opportunity. He started working with an NGO called Deva International Society as a special educator. On a visit to a […]
An initiative towards Digital Detox by Maharashtrian village
A siren goes off at 7pm every evening in Vadgaon village in Sangli district, an indication to all residents to switch off their TV sets and mobile phones. The two instruments of “addiction” can be switched on when the village council sounds the siren again at 8.30pm. “We decided at the village meeting on 14 […]
No Electricity & 50% Less Water: NRI’s Low-Cost Washing Machine Helps Women Refugees
Navjot Sawhney innovated a low-cost, unique washing machine after seeing the plight of his friend Divya. Today, the machine is a ray of hope for women of Iraq’s Mamrashan Refugee Camp and rural India. When British-born Indian Navjot Sawhney took a sabbatical from work in the UK and moved to India, he had never fathomed […]
Elder’s Club an Idea of Inclusive Development
Ageing is a natural course of development and increasing longevity has wonderful human achievement. An active secure and healthy ageing population can present enormous contribution to the society. This demographic shift has opportunities with challenges where ageing require lots of resourceful support while it has resounding contribution to the family and society. Elders are like […]
A time to learn through Play during COVID-19 for Samay
Children all over the world are enduring disrupted routines during the lockdown triggered by COVID-19 and subsequent school closure. Underserved kids are especially faced with hardships and learning losses due to the economic and digital disparity. Samay (name changed) has also had it harder. The 13-year-old from Sagroli, Nanded in Maharashtra had a strictly routined […]
A systems approach to democratise quality education in India
As an advisor to the Government of Jharkhand on public schooling, I spent the past year assessing schools of Ranchi District; interacting with children, teachers, and parents from some of the most remote and destitute parts of the country. 2020 did not just devastate our healthcare systems but it also brought education systems in […]
