ATMAVISHWAS - MUMBAI

THE VOCATIONAL CENTER

(A Trust for the Mentally Challenged)

 

 

                                                         

 

‘Atmavishwas’ is an organisation inspired by a conviction that all of us, regardless of caste, creed or disposition are capable of making a positive contribution to society, if provided with appropriate resources. Atmavishwas, is that ray of hope for those young adults with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation), who have no place to turn to once they complete their schooling and have to leave their specials schools due to age limit.    

At Atmavishwas, we give vocational training to these students with detailed personal care and attention. They learn card making and printing, candle making, stationery items, wrapping Items & needlework. Along with imparting such skills which provides them to be financially capacitated, they are also equipped with essential life skills like basic reading & writing, functional math’s and independent travel.

At Atmavishwas our talented students create precious merchandise painstakingly crafted and decorated with a great amount of love and attention. These products hold a place of pride at various retail outlets under the Atmavishwas banner and are also sold through periodic exhibitions. The humble earnings make its way to our students’ wallets as stipends, which in turn goes a long way in making them feel constructive and valuable.     

Atmavishwas welcomes people who would like to share in this endeavour, and help in any of the following ways:

·         By volunteering their time and services.

·         Sponsoring of equipment and raw materials.

·         Putting in orders to keep our workforce constantly occupied.

·         Or even with a visit so our youth can display their talents and achieve what our name suggests – “ATMAVISHWAS” or SELF CONFIDENCE

 

For further details and inquiries, kindly contact :

Mrs. Sybil da Gama, B 12 Ashiana, St. John Baptist Road, Bandra, Mumbai 400 050, India.

Phone : 91-22-26423550, 91- 9821324561

 

 

THE ATMAVISHWAS CREDO

·      Offer dignity, Not Pity

·      Rights, Not Charity

·      Equality, Not dependence

·      Participation, Not Segregation

 

‘Atmavishwas’ is a registered Public trust and organisation inspired by a conviction that all of us regardless of caste, creed or disposition are capable of making a positive contribution to society, if provided with appropriate resources.

Atmavishwas operates in Mumbai, India and currently offers facilities for vocational training to persons with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) in Mumbai city. It plans to introduce further in depth vocational training for the target group and to expand its programmes for persons in the same target group who are home bound. Several meaningful affiliations are hoping to be established so as to render holistic services.

 

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

  •       To facilitate capacity building of mentally challenged individuals for their integrated development, maximization of their potentials and self reliance.

  •       To ensure that all individuals with an intellectual handicap enjoy a meaningful life within the community by offering vocational training and residential services.

  •       To set up community based centers, support groups and to work with families and encourage them to actively participate in the programmes.

 

PROGRAMS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

1. VOCATIONAL TRAINING CUM PRODUCTION CENTRE

  •        Card making and Printing

  •        Candle Making

  •        Stationery Items

  •        Wrapping Items

  •        Needle Work

 

2. LIFE SKILLS / FUNCTIONAL

  •        Daily Living Skills

  •        Basic reading, writing, math.

  •        Independent travel

 

3. EVENTS PROMOTED

 

  •        Atmavishwas 99/A Festival of Music and Dance for all Mumbai schools.

  •        Dilkush

  •        “Go – Getters Camp 2002” -  A 14 day Residential Camp for Mentally Challenged  youth from Mumbai/Goa.

 

4. PROPOSED SUPPORT SERVICES

  •        Counselling Centre

  •        Library

  •        Support Groups for Parent Co-operation/interaction.

  •        Volunteer Training  Programme.

 

5. PROPOSED ADDITIONAL SERVICES

  •        Organisations of events and shows.

  •        Visits to other similar centres.

  •        Funfairs.

  •        Networking with other NGO’s.

  •        Integration and mainstreaming of students.

  •        Evening and Week-end Program

  •        The Reach-out Program

  •        Home Based Employment Program

  •        Vocational Training Centre at Miramar, Goa

  •        Residential home for handicapped at Goa.

 

 

PROJECT LOCATION

Atmavishwas, Mumbai operates from a rented ground floor premises near Mehboob Studio at  Bandra. It is well connected to the rest of the city by road. Very accessible using all modes of public transport.

 

PROJECT ACTIVITY- AN OVERVIEW

The activities of the project are:

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Atmavishwas undertakes to train and equip students in various vocations to facilitate socio-economic empowerment and development of mentally challenged youth. Atmavishwas also encourages the trainees families to start self-employment ventures and co-operatives and provides them with the advice and guidance. This skill training also leads the center to become a small scale production unit, where the profits are proposed to be shared amongst the trainees.

Atmavishwas presently offers :

  •       Stationery and Handicraft training:         Making of letter paper, gift envelopes, gift bags.

  •       Candle making :

  •       Needle Work : Embroidery training that is used for embroidering towels, aprons, kitchen napkins.

  •       Basic training in skills like painting, sticking, colouring, cutting, and other skills to facilitate  better  language for the trainees.

 

SUPPORTIVE SERVICES

Atmavishwas  envisions networked support services for the trainees and their families. Service areas being looked into are:-

  •       Counselling services for either group.

  •      Consultancy for parents to help them understand and set up co-operatives for their wards. This facilitates home based employment and income generation.

  •       Volunteer training programmes and Parent Education programmes.

 

ADDITIONAL FACILITIES

 

Residential Facilities

It is proposed to offer residential facilities which will also have Vocational facilities in Verna, Goa for intellectually challenged persons. Phase 1 would cater to 10 inmates –5 male and 5 female, and Phase 2 for upto 25 inmates with furthe expansion as may be required. There will be dining and kitchen facilities with the required staff and will be managed by the Trustees with an Administrator and House Parents who will be on Campus. A vocational training cum production unit is proposed on the same campus for the inmates.

Cyber Café / Communication Centre, Library, Recreation and sports

This is proposed to be manned by the trainees, so that consequent to the completion of training programme, employment opportunities are made available.

 

EVENTS PROMOTED

·         1999 – Atmavishwas’99 - An all Mumbai Talent Contest with participation of over 30 special schools from Mumbai. The festival of Music & Dance was held over 3 days with eliminations spread over 2 days and the finals being held at the “Atrium” at Crossroads, Mumbai on 12th December, 1999.

·          “Go – Getters Camp 2002” – held at Goa for Mentally challenged youth from Mumbai & Goa was a “hands on experience” for these differently abled individuals wherein they inculcated a spirit of community living by being taught and encouraged to work and learn in natural domestic surroundings.

 

OVERALL IMPACT OF THE PROGRAMME

Atmavishwas aims to reduce and limit the consequences of disabilities through training for capacity building and facilitation of opportunities and support structures for the mentally challenged in Society.

Whilst Atmavishwas aims to provide the services enumerated above, it will also aim to build linkages with Organisations that offer related/similar services so that a child that registers with the Center receives the complete and Special attention that he/she requires. It is envisaged that at the end of all phases, the outreach of the Programs would be approx 70 students.

 

TARGET GROUP

The beneficiaries of this project would be persons with intellectual handicaps (mental retardation). The programme will extend to both boys and girls between the age group of 16 – 25 years and there will be no discrimination in terms of economic status of the students.

 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The affairs of the institute will be managed by a Board of Trustees. There will be a Trustee in Charge of running the Vocational Center alongwith a Special Educator and volunteers.

The current trustees are :

Mr. Roy da Gama – Managing Trustee

Mrs. Sybil da Gama – Trustee i/c Vocational Center

Mr. Arminio Riberio

The projects are designed, conducted and facilitated by a team of dedicated professionals

 

FUTURE PLANS

People with a mental handicap need life-long care and support to a varying degree, according to the extent of their disabilities. There is a need for a wide range of residential care options, with adequate support services, which Atmavishwas intends to fill.

Amongst Atmavishwas' various objectives, we have taken up an ambitious project of setting up a Boarding/ Residence for the mentally challenged at Verna in Goa. This facility is to be housed in a residence of Portuguese vintage and is expected to fulfill a long felt need, where such individuals could lead a fruitful and respectable life under comfortable living conditions. It is proposed that apart from establishing a residential facility, this establishment will operate a Sheltered workshop, where energies and abilities of such individuals will be put to use. The residence is located close to the largest industrial estate of Goa and will therefore receive work and support from the industries located therein.

 

FUNDING

This effort is being funded by the Trustees in their personal capacity with support from Parents by way of Fees.

Atmavishwas would welcome donations for which the donor would get exemption from payment of Income Tax under Section 80G.

'Atmavishwas' would be willing to name the vocational centre as per wishes of the Donor in case the Donor’s contribution matches the total capital outlay and running costs of the project.

 

This Report is an attempt to project as true a picture as possible, to be understood and worked upon by all sympathisers of 'Atmavishwas' to collect public funds for Capital Outlay and running expenses.

'Atmavishwas' calls for encouragement and support from other Charity Trusts, Industrial and Commercial houses in Mumbai and Goa, for this Project that deserves recognition. The Managing Trustee would be available to the prospective Donor for furnishing further information or clarifications.