Newsletter Vol No. 03

Achiever CHESHIRE HOMES INDIA - NATIONAL COUNCIL

A Member of the Leonard Cheshire Global Alliance

There are 23 Cheshire Homes in

India (Bangalore, Burnpur, CDT,Chandigarh,

Chennai, Coimbatore, Coorg, Dehradun, Delhi,

Jamshedpur, Katpadi, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore,

Mukampala, Mumbai,Nagapattinum, Prakasam,

Ranchi, Serampore, Trivandrum, Tollygunge,

Tuticorin). Each of these homes is independent,

managed by its own management board, serving the

cause of the disabled, the terminally ill and the elderly.

They are linked to the Leonard Cheshire Disability

(LCD), an international organization, through the

Cheshire Homes India-National Council. Cheshire

Homes have been expanding their activities to serve a

larger number of people with disability through

Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program, such

as Access to Health, Livelihood Training and

Employment, Inclusive Education and Advocacy to

sensitize the Government and the public at large.

Today, the Cheshire Services in India reach out to

around 20,000 persons in a year with disabilities

directly across India.

The Annual General Meeting of The National Council of Cheshire Homes India was

held on February 14th, 2015 in Bangalore. It started with an invocation song by Bangalore

Cheshire Homes – Girls.

Mr. Rana. M. Philip, Chairman informed the members about the passing away of Brig Ghai,

Former Chairman of Cheshire Homes Lucknow. The members observed a minute of silence in his

memory. The Chairman extended a warm welcome to all and a special welcome to Ms. Clare

Pelham, Chief Executive of LCD. The conference had the benefit of 2 special speakers - Mr. Prince

Asirvatham, who talked on Corporate Social Responsibility and Dr. Suresh on FCRA Ms. Revathy,

SARO briefed the conference on the role and activities of SARO specially relating to project

funding. Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting of Cheshire Homes India - National

Council held on Friday, 13th February 2015 by Mr .Chandy Koshy –Hon Treasurer & Secretary Mr. P. M. John Vice Chairman delivered

the Closing speech. He took all present back to 1954 when Cheshire Home, UK was started after the World War II to 1956 when the first

Home was started by Lord Cheshire himself in Mumbai to the present state. It was a marvelous and nostalgic tour.

The Newsletter serves as a link between the Cheshire Homes in

India and enables each of us to learn and know what the other Homes

are doing. Please therefore keep contributing on your activities.

We had the CEO of LCD, UK, Ms Claire Pelham, visiting India for

the first time and attending the Annual Conference in February.2015.

One of her key messages was that Lord Leonard Cheshire had left as

his legacy a film stating that nothing is laid in stone and future

leaders of the Cheshire organization can evolve as they see best as

long as it served Charity for the disabled, the sick, and the old. So the

traditional residential Home may not be the only way of serving the

Disabled The LCD global strategy now is to serve the largest number

of people with Disability through CBR , Livelihood, Health,

Educational programs and Advocacy programs with Governments

and the Public. LCD, UK is advocating having Disability included in

the UN Millennium Development Goals for 2015 -2030.

FCRA approvals and its renewals are getting strictly vetted. It is

incumbent on all of us to ensure that all documents are perfect and

timely filing of returns is done. Foreign funding is generally project

based and irregular. We therefore need to expand the domestic

funding for our Homes.

Lots of exciting work is being done in our Homes/Services and I hope

you enjoy the activities and success stories in this letter.

With regards

Rana M. Philip

Chairman Cheshire homes India- National Council

EVENTS

ABOUT

Bangalore Cheshire Home: Both the homes

one in HAL Airport road for physically challenged girls and home

for senior ladies in White Field are doing well. All the girls in SDA

School and Sheila Kothavala School have passed the exams with

good marks and made the home proud by winning trophies in

sports and Merit certificates in studies one girl won cash prize of

Rs 3000. The New building in White Field is now in use, Cheshire

homes has entered into an agreement with the Daughters of

Charity who have placed 3 Nuns to look after the old ladies. All the

residents in both homes are doing well regular general health; eye

and dental checkups are conducted. Young staff from different

corporate visit from time to time, arranges entertainment &

painting competitions. Various hotels like Oberoi's, Avaya Attila

invite the residents to sing Xmas carols, Hotel Hyatt, Round Table,

KPMG arrange gifts and high tea for the residents during festive

season. A Hip surgery was conducted through our Out-reach

programme on Jennifer, daughter of our ex-resident Lakshmi.

Clare Pelham, CEO LCD, UK and Tiziana Oliva International

Director of LCD, UK visited our home

this year.

With Prime Minister Modi’s campaign for

CHI- Coorg has taken up the issue to

contribute to the Society in its own unique

way, by recycling paper and plastic.

Advisor to the Administrator,

UT Chandigarh Vijay Dev gave

away the 3rd Cheshire Homes

Annual Awards 2015 at Bal

Bhavan organized by Cheshire

Homes Chandigarh and the

Social Welfare Department of

UT on 22nd March 2015

CHI- Chandigarh

Cheshire Homes Delhi

Organized Painting, Sports, Dance

competitions. Conducted World Disability Day

Programme along with Culture Programme,

Eye Camp , Hair Care Camp every month and

Trip to Haridwar, Rishikesh and Golden

Temple Amritsar.

The candidates registered by Cheshire Homes

Chennai during the Accenture funded period were all

placed in IT and BPO companies. To ensure their future

savings, they decided to form a self-help group, called Ability

Self Help Group under the guidance of CCH and with a loan

from the Central Cooperative Bank at Thiruvanmiyur. They

have invested in the purchase of a TATA Indigo car and have

aligned themselves with the OLA Cab Company. This venture

has been vetted by a lawyer and they have signed an

agreement where the funds and returns are on a shared basis.

The candidates, of course, continue to work in their respective

companies, while continuing to fund this venture but also

looking a long term rewards.

LC Project - Prakasam

Team of 4 members (3 staff and one Federation

Leader) participated in the Programme. Out of these

4 members 2 are PWDs. Team met District Revenue

officer and District Disability Welfare Officer for

informing them about our relief plan and seeking

necessary District Authorities permissions for relief

works

Republic Day and Birthday Celebrations at the

Cheshire Home Lucknow. Republic Day

residents, decorated the Home with Republic Day posters

and presented an entertainment programme for residents

and members.

Candle and Masala(Condiments) Project. For

“Occupational Therapy”, Residents continued to produce

the Masala (Condiments) required by them and also sell the

same to people in Lucknow which did immensely well

during Diwali and Dussehra Festivals this year. The profits

earned were distributed to the residents as incentive and a

minimal amount was retained by the Cheshire Home for

sustenance of the project.

The fourth Year of the project funded by Accenture on

Livelihood Resource (LRC) was involved and committed

with various activities which were carried out with new

strategies and innovative ideas.

Training was imparted on IT, cycle repairing, Zari work,

chikan work, mobile repairing, EDP, self-employment,

envelope making, kite making, box making, watch making

and tailoring etc.

A Media Workshop was conducted on 03 Dec 2014 at

Halwasiya Court, Hazratganj, Lucknow. The workshop

was attended by Chairman, Joint Secy, LRC Staff, PWDs,

Joint Director Disability department and Media Persons.

Celebration & Birthday

Celebration of Residents of

Cheshire Homes India

Lucknow was celebrated.

The programme was

sponsored by Mr. Kishore

Mehrotra. The children

from Navayuga Radiance

School gave gifts to

Chennai Cheshire Homes

and LC Project

Nagapattinam with the

Rotary Club of DRISHTI and

Cognizant Outreach

Chennai, jointly conducted a

two day State Level T20

Cricket Tournament for

visually impaired persons.

Mandal Vikalangula Samakhyas

(Disabled Federations-which we formed and capacitated) and LCDDP has jointly

organized Political leaders and Government Officials meeting at Kothapatnam

and the Local MLA And district TDP party president Sri Damacharla Janardhan

has attended for the programme as Chief Guest and all Mandal Government

Officials and other political leaders attended as guests.

INSPIRATION

Upendra Kumar Mehto belongs to

Bihar and came to Dehradun in search of a

job. Living with his brother who is a vegetable

vender, he searched for a job in many places

but with no results, the reason being-firstly he

was not skilled and secondly due to his

disability in one hand. He could not hold

anything with one of his hands. He felt

disappointed and made up his mind to go back

to Bihar . One day the member of the LRC

team happened to meet his brother and he told the team member about

Upendra. He was asked to visit LRC center along with his brother. After

counseling, he was advised to join computer training at Cheshire Home LRC

so that he could be skilled and he agreed. By his hard work and regular

guidance of LRC staff, he learned computer and developed a confidence in

himself. After completing the training, he gave an interview and got a job in

domestic BPO at ISON.

Now he is very much happy with his job and is an earning member of his

family. He is also pursuing his graduation along with his job for better future

prospects.

23 year old Shankar is on his regular visit to

Cheshire Home’s CBR office, proudly showing

everyone the Certificate and a bronze medal that he

won at the recently concluded National Judo

Championship in New Delhi. Shankar is pursuing

Bachelors’ Degree in Management in a reputed

Mumbai college. “I am looking forward to my

internship this year with a reputed company.” says

Shankar, sounding ambitious as any young man, He

is also an active member of the Young Voices, the

advocacy initiative at Cheshire Home. He moves

about the Mumbai city and outside independently.

It has taken 10 years of hard work for Shankar who is

totally visually impaired and his family and Cheshire

Home’s unstinted support to him for as many years in

myriad ways, for him to be what he is today.

Shankar was a school dropout about a decade ago,

when identified by Mumbai Cheshire Home’s the then

just initiated community based rehabilitation

programme that focused on inclusive education. He

dropped out due to vision impairment that he

acquired while he was still studying in the 3rd grade

at a Municipal School in Andheri East, in Mumbai,

close to Dr. Ambedkar Nagar slum community where

he lives with his parents and 3 siblings. Shankar lost

crucial formative 5 years of education in his early life

by being out of school and no intervention until

Mumbai Cheshire Home identified him. Cheshire

Home’s immediate intervention started by way of

timely guidance to his family, facilitation of academic

tuitions at Cheshire Home and at Home. He was

taught Braille and facilitated training in mobility and

orientation at another organization. Within the next

year and a half Shankar regained his confidence; as

such he also started to move about independently and

showing interest in academics. As such he secured a

first class in his 10th grade. Cheshire Home ensured

that Shankar got enrolled into a reputed institution

for his junior college education where he opted for

commerce as the stream, where he again scored a

first class in the 12th grade.

“I received timely support from Mumbai Cheshire

Home at each step and milestone of my life during the

past 10 years, and have tried to make the best of

opportunities given to me. I know it will never be

enough, but I will try and give back to you (Cheshire

Home) in my own way. Between my time at college

and other extracurricular activities, still find time to

train other youth with visual impairment in learning

Braille. This is his way of giving back what I have

received.” Says Shankar with gratitude, as he

eagerly checks for an email on his personal computer

for an update on the next week’s lectures and

activities at the college

Rajani was born in 1995 at Laila

Village in Belthangadi Taluk. She had 5

other siblings all much older than her. Her

initial schooling was done in the village

Having completed her S.S.L.C in 2012 ,

she aspired to go to college and get

graduated. Meanwhile her father who was

ailing with a heart problem, suddenly passed away, leaving Rajani's dreams

shattered.

For a year she stayed at home and later realized that the only to get out of

poverty was to get herself educated and empowered. She felt she should learn

the computers which would help her to stand on her own feet.

Rajani approached Dr. Murulidar of Vrithi Tarabethi Kendra who runs the

Institute teaching Computers to the Disabled who brought her to the

Mangalore Cheshire Home. Rajani completed her Computer course.

Meanwhile she learnt to stitch and embroider cards and paint.

Rajani had weak eye sight and a weak palm and could not grasp the mouse

with the right hand. With counseling and effort and most of all the love, care

and Physiotherapy that she got at the Mangalore Cheshire Home, she was able

to slowly grasp the mouse and learn. Rajini wasn't up to the mark. She was

given extra coaching to make herself fit for a job. In the Month of June 2014,

Dr. Murulidar offered her a job in the Vrithi Tharabethi Kendra, where she is

teaching also doing office work during the rest of the time. She commutes by

bus daily to and fro and resides at the Mangalore Cheshire Home.

Rajani is grateful to the Mangalore Cheshire Home for empowering her and

giving her a future. She says that besides being empowered she has learnt a lot

at the Home. Good ways and how to get along with others. The Mangalore

Cheshire Home is proud of her achievement and wishes her a bright future.

Miss. Ranjani is D/o of Mr. Rajaram is having Loco Moto disability by birth, with left hand and

left leg with less functional. She is residing at 193 Mettu Street, Killai Railway Road, Keezh

Aunbavampattu, Chidambaram T.K. She has completed B.Sc (zoology), D.T.Ed in 2011. She is 25

Years old. Her parents are land less agricultural laborers, her two brothers are studying in college

and 9th std respectively. They live in a thatched house with walls made of mud. Even though she

has completed her D.T.Ed in 2011 she did not find any job. Hence she joined B.Sc. Zoology in Govt

Arts College, B.Muttlur and completed her studies in 2015.

LC project Nagapattinam Identified her as beneficiary of Access to livelihood Project supported by

Accenture and she was registered in the project

The LCPN project team identified Vidial Rehabilitation Center in Chidambaram, a Training centre to training Children who are affected

by Autism, CP, ADHD and MR. The project team arranged for an interview for Miss. Ranjini and she got selected in the month of march

as teaching faculty and her salary Rs 7000/month. Now her Self-confidence is improved and she started saving for her future. She also

supports her brothers education expenses. She feels very happy about her work with intellectual children. Her entire family feels very

happy about her present position and her support.

Inclusive Education Projects at Serampore Cheshire Home

Md. Saddam, a 8 year old boy who had Cerebral Palsy was the first CWD to

be admitted in the main Stream School on June 28, 2008 after he was given

initial training and treatment for fitness. The School was Chattugung G.S.F.

Primary School.

First Phase of Tom Burtlam IE Project was completed on 1st April 2011

after the full period of 3 years duration. Target of admitting 75 CWDs in

main stream schools was exceeded. Tom Burtlam IE Project continued for 6

years continuously without break and 178 CWDs were admitted to

mainstream Govt./Private Primary Schools. All these CWDs are continuing

with their education with hardly any dropout.

Serampore started the second IE Project after two months’ break. The

Nikhil Mehta IE Project commenced on 1st June 2014. It was funded by Mr.

Nikhil Mehta, a non-resident Indian living in the U.K. The project duration

is one year and the scope is limited to 15 CWDs to be admitted to main

stream Govt./Private primary schools. The Nikhil Mehta IE Project will end

on 31st May, 2015 and 18 CWDs have already been admitted in the main

stream schools.

The Association Jean Long in the U.K. have funded the third IE Project also

of one year duration but having larger in scope of target numbers. Started

Jean Long IE Project on 1st August, 2014 having a project duration of one

year i.e. upto 31.07.2015. The target of admitting in one year is 75 CWDs in

the main stream schools. By the time the Jean Long IE Project comes to an

end the target will be exceeded. Training in special computer software

‘AWAZ’ was arranged for Jean Long IE Project team members at IICP

Kolkata.

In the final analysis, the IEP team at Serampore Cheshire Home with the

technical support from LCD/SARO not only fulfilled the targets of the three

IE Projects but exceeded the targets by admitting a total of 274 disabled

children to main stream Govt./Private Primary Schools where they are

continuing with their learnings along with able bodied children.

CH Bangalore Livelihood Resource

Centre conducted its 15th Job Fair on 21

February 2015, leading to a great success,

witnessing 280 participants, 22 companies, 35

employers and 30 volunteers along with parents.

We had 22 companies with 35 HR personnel

conducting interviews. We had 280 candidates

including 130 candidates from CHI-BU

The companies spot selected 130 candidates and

today 65 youths are employed.

In our endeavour to ensure the candidates excel in

the interviews at the Job Fair, we planned a

preparation training called Ready to Succeed.

We held Ready to Succeed from 12 to18 February

2014 for 61 candidates (who had registered for the

Job Fair) at CHI-BU Premises. The training

covered undergraduates and graduates separately.

We began sign language training for corporate

volunteers from September to November 2014. The

training will end in November 2014. We had 3

corporate volunteers for the training.Our training

was interactive and followed with a test. This

training in sign language prepares the volunteers to

employers closer to our candidates.

Interact with our

candidates in a

friendlier manner and

also puts them at ease

during interviews.

This exercise is to

bring the volunteers

and

DONATIONS

Cheshire Homes India is a nonprofit organization supported largely by individual donations and

volunteers. It has all the required approvals: Society registration certificate, FCRA approval,

Income tax 12-A certificate, 80 G form, PAN card etc. Any donation is welcome and we shall

provide the 80G tax certificate. We look forward to contribution from individuals and request

companies to include us in their CBR programs. These funds shall be used for all the 23 Cheshire

Homes in India. The cheques and bank drafts should be made in the name of Cheshire Homes India

and payable in Bangalore and sent to our Bangalore address, as under. Please provide your name,

address and PAN number as anonymous donations are prohibited under the IT Act.

Cheshire Homes India - National Council

Opp. Manipal Hospital, HAL Airport Road, Bangalore – 560017

Phone Nos.: +91-80-25200585 / 25275332

Website : www.cheshireindia.org,

Email chinc.blr@gmail.com / nc@cheshireindia.org