Community Based Rehabilliation Programme for Persons with Disability
Rahul Mejar, aged about 12years is from Birkuchi village in Kalitakuchi, Kamrup Metro district. He suffers from cerebral palsy and cannot walk or stand. For most part of his life, Rahul has stayed indoors and needs help to perform day-to-day activities.
The CBR Staff of ACRD identified him in 2013, and started to render homebased service to him. Our staff, Revati Sharma, taught him to perform his daily activities, like brushing his teeth, bathing, dressing, etc on his own. She motivated his grandparents as well, to help himstand and walk, using locally found cane and bamboo sticks. Revati helped Rahul get a disability certificate from the office of the Joint Director, Health Department, and a wheel chair from ALIMCO, a Central Government agency.
Rahul has come a long way from the time Revati met him. He can now move around with the help of the wheel chair. Revati has also been giving him home-based classes. She encourages other children in the locality to play with Rahul, and has also encouraged his grandparents to enrol him in the local school.
Champa Phangshu, aged about 34years is from Panbari, a village in Chandrapur Block of Kamrup Metro district. Champa has locomotor disability. She lost her right leg in an accident 20 years ago.She was leading a hand to mouth existence with her husband and six children. Her husband works as a daily waged labour, and she makes a meagre income by using her skills in tailoring and cutting.
In 2010, she came in contact with our CBR staff, who helped her in getting the Disability Pension through the Block. Champa was given an artificial limb, which increased her efficiency level and mobility to perform her domestic duties, as well as improve the home based business of cutting and tailoring. Presently, she is an active DPO member. Champa is leading a sound and normal life.
15-year-old Santosh Rai from Hatisila village in Kamrup Metro district is mentally retarded. Santosh was never enrolled in a school due to lack of awareness among his family. ACRD’s CBR staff contacted his family members and started giving him home based Intervention. Through home-based intervention, Santosh was taught social behaviour and communication skills and to reciprocate to gestures. The CBR staff also encouraged his mother to send him to a nearby school.
Santosh enrolled in a school and gradually started communicating with his peers and teachers in his school. He now enjoys going to school and can also count numbers and perform his daily activities without help. ACRD has arranged a financial assistance of Rs 6,000 for Santosh through a civil society organisation, Karunadhara, so that the money can be used for his future.
Robin Das from Tatimara village in Chandrapur block suffers from locomotor disability. He is paralysed from his legs and cannot stand or walk. Our CBR staff, Rebati Upadhaya, identified his disability in 2009 and helped him get a disability certificate, tricycle and a wheel chair. He also received a financial assistance of Rs 9,000 from Karunadhara that helped him open a small shop. He used his tricycle as a mobile shop and sold chocolates, chips, and other edibles to children in a nearby school.
Robin earns an average of Rs 6,000 per month with which he supports his family. He is also an active member of VDPO now. Today, Robin has become a confident person and lives life like any other person in the society. He is also an example to other disabled people.
Pramod Ray, 35, suffers from polio affected locomotor disability. He was identified by our CBR staff Revati Sharma in the year 2008. She helped him get a disability certificate and also helped him to get a loan of rupees 2 lakhs from State Bank of India to start a Diary Farm. He repaid the loan amount on time and is now a successful Diary farmer.
Pramod married a non-disabled girl and has two kids at present. He is the president of the Village School Management Committee. He is also an active member of the Village Development Committee and takes active part in the village activities. He is also the secretary of Panchayat level DPO. Pramod takes lead in raising various issues related to disability, and also helps other disabled people in the community to avail government facilities.