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A SIMPLE BEGINNING The mental retardation programmes in Mandya had a simple beginning in the year 1996, initiated by the then Regional Director, Rev Fr. Joseph Vedikunnel. Seeing the plight of mentally challenged persons, particularly the children, two priests and three religious sisters of Mandya mission initiated a programme for the rehabilitation of the mentally challenged persons. These five missionaries had an intensive training at the Institute of Mental Retardation at Thiruvananthapuram to launch the pioneer programme. |
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CBR CENTERS AND TEACHERS TRAINING PROGRAMME The programmes for the rehabilitation of the mentally challenged persons got momentum in Mandya Mission through an extensive survey that was conducted in the different taluks. This survey could identify more than 1250 mentally challenged persons in different parts of the district. For their training more than 30 Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) centres were opened in the village areas of Mandya district. The trainers in these centres were selected locally and they are given training by experts hailing from reputed institutions working in the field of mental retardation. |
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The effects of these CBR centres were beneficial not only to the persons with mental retardation but also to their families and society itself. Hundreds of mentally retarded persons who had never been cared for were brought under a system of training and they had their first experience as being loved and respected by the society. We can never forget their faces shining with fulfilment at their first stage performance or while participating in the sports events at national and district levels. The effect of this training showed amazing improvement in the children, | |||
| which was noticed and appreciated by the whole community. The amount of benefit received by these programmes and CBR centres is beyond anyone's comprehension. | ||||
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SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMMES The transitory nature of CBR centres induced us to start permanent structures of training for the mentally challenged persons. Thus attention was slowly shifted from CBR to Special schools and we started one residential school at Koppa and two day-schools, one in Mandya city and the other at Guthalu. The residential school at Koppa is started in the year 1991 aiming at giving training to the poor disabled children from the interior villages. |
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| At present 25 disabled children are being well trained in the residential programme under the able guidance of the missionaries of Koppa mission station. | ||||
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Asha Sadan is a special school started to give training to the mentally challenged children of Mandya city and the suburban areas. Presently there are 50 children in this school receiving the training in different skills. The construction of a new school building is in progress that will meet the many demands of the special training. At present fifteen trained teachers are working for the rehabilitation of seventy-five children through these schools. Laudable is the service rendered by them for the formation of these children. It is a matter of contentment for us that the government of Karnataka has given permission for both our schools and we look forward with hope for the grants from the government. At this juncture we remember only with gratitude the missionaries of Mandya who have given their wholehearted support for the well being of this programme. In making this programme a success the role and contribution of our beloved benefactors is vital and it is the little might of many of them that enables us to implement this programme in a successful manner. |
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| The inspiration for starting this programme was originated not only out of compassion for the disabled but a realisation that each one in the society has a duty towards his fellow being and the well being of every member of the society depends upon the well being of others. The philosophy of this Institution is to give these children the maximum opportunity to become productive citizens so that they may be self-reliant and contributors to society. |
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JOB SKILLS USING THE COMPUTER We have started a computer training centre in the institute in collaboration with Intel and AMBA. Very shortly our children will be doing back end work for telecommunication companies in Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore. We are in the process of getting this contract for our children over 16 years. This is an initiative, which will give the well-deserved parent a reason to feel really proud of their children and make the child a contributor to the family income. |
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SERVICES OFFERED BY THIS INSTITUTE There are various services offered by the institute. It includes early therapy for motor development, physiotherapy, special training depending on the type of mental retardation, occupational therapy, vocational training which includes book binding, candle making etc. and computer job centre. There are also programmes concentrating on the entire family of the children. Chief among them is counselling for parents and siblings, sharing session by parents, community based rehabilitation, community awareness programmes etc. Through all these means we preach the love of Christ through our actions, reflecting the words of Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel always; if necessary use words." |
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| Fr Francis Kureeckal (Director of the Programme) | Fr Kuriakose Puthuseeril (Director of Preeti Nilaya) | |||
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| Missionary Society of St Thomas The Apostle | |||
| mstdeeptibhavan@sancharnet.in |
