a perfect partnership

listen to the special section band

2009-11-07T16:07:00.001-08:00

face painting in the special class

2009-11-07T16:06:00.002-08:00

The kids of our special section love face painting sessions. Here is what happened yesterday

Munna

Himanshu

Umesh

a silent class

2009-11-07T16:06:00.001-08:00

There is a new class at project why. Thrice a week a bunch of daf ad dumb school children come for extra tuition to project why. Seema our special educator was thrown out of the premises where she held this class earlier. We simply opened our doors:

budding artists

2009-11-07T16:05:00.001-08:00

This is a very special art class

Sohil dances

2009-09-22T16:29:00.001-07:00

Sohil

2009-09-22T16:25:00.001-07:00

Sohil is the new kid in the special section.

and Radha is his very special friend

teacher's day in the special section

2009-09-10T16:23:00.002-07:00

The special section kids became teachers for day:

www.flickr.com

incredible radha

2009-09-10T16:23:00.001-07:00

Radha is an incredible kid. In spite of her brittle bones and useless legs, she participates in all activities and finds unique ways of doing simple things like drinking water!

www.flickr.com

special sandwiches

2009-09-10T16:22:00.003-07:00

It was cooking time in the special section. On the menu: vegetable sandwiches

Neha, Preeti and Anjali butter the bread slices

Shalini places the vegetables and

cuts the sandwiches

Voila, they are ready, a little skewed maybe but delicious and tempting!

a life cut short

2009-09-10T16:22:00.001-07:00

Little Nanhe left us two days back to go to a better world. Even though we knew that this day would come one day we were shattered. Nanhe's short life was filled with pain but no matter how bad it was he never lost his smile.

here some glimpses of a life cut short

www.flickr.com

a brand new sewing machine

2009-09-10T16:21:00.001-07:00

Rinky our hearing impaired student works at a beauty parlour. But she has also learnt how to sow and wants to supplement her income by taking sewing orders at home. What was missing was a sewing machine. Anjum, our dear friend made her little dream came true and gifted her a brand new sewing machine

watch our amazing parkours

2009-09-10T16:20:00.001-07:00

an incredible parkour

2009-09-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

The special section partook in an incredible parkour. They proved beyond any doubt that they too could surpass themselves if given a chance

www.flickr.com

discovering the world

2009-07-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

Tiphanie and Marie, two occupational therapists from France have been working with the children of the special section for the past week. Their aim is to make them rediscover their world and learn to master it

Tiphanie and Marie observing the group B kids.

Assessing Anurag's needs

Working with Ankur

Working with Umesh

blind man's eye

2009-07-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

The special children busy playing blind man's eye!

manu and his stick

2009-07-13T17:05:00.002-07:00

Thanks to the efforts of Marie and Tiphaine two french occupational therapists, Manu is relearning to walk with a brand new stick.

back in class

2009-07-13T17:05:00.001-07:00

Munna is back in class after two months at the village. His brother Vicky was thrilled to see him. Vicky will be off to his boarding school in a few days.

what is manu thinking

2009-07-13T17:04:00.003-07:00

Manu is now back in class after his long ordeal. Wonder what he is thinking as he sits quietly in class.

learning the sign language

2009-07-13T17:04:00.001-07:00

Rinky is busy teaching Harpal, our new volunteer from Melbourne, the sign language. They both seem to be enjoying the lesson.

nina's farewell

2009-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

It was Nina's farewell party at the special section. In spite of the scorching hat every one danced and had a great time

Everyone is in a dancing mood

a special pas de deux by shamika and shalini

Even manu decided to do a few twirls

Shalini put her best foot forward

Little radha executed the perfect solo

and Nina and Shalini performed the last dance!

perfect designs

2009-06-23T16:39:00.001-07:00

Lat week, Rinky taught her friends to make henna designs. This week Geetu and Anjali tried their hands at it and did a great job!

Geetu decorating Shalini's hand

Anjali working on Ritika's hand!

green thumb

2009-06-20T17:59:00.001-07:00

Honey loves gardening. He waters the plants on the terrace every day in spite of the scorching heat.

the project why special band

2009-06-17T16:50:00.001-07:00

The project why special section has a brand new percussion band. The instruments range from plate and spoons, to bells and cups. Believe it or not they put up quite a performace. Even Manu who regaled us all with a solo performance!

henna time

2009-06-17T16:43:00.002-07:00

It was beauty time for the girls in the special section. The subject of the day was how to put henna and the teacher our very own Rinky!

Shalini is very proud of the nice pattern on her hand.

Little Radha showing off her henna

Geetu applying henna on Anjali

the new celebrity

2009-06-17T16:43:00.001-07:00

Radha is definitely the new celebrity in class. Yesterday a TV crew came to the special centre to film her and then today the whole class went up to the foster care to watch the programme. Radha sat very quietly not quite understanding what was happening. She had never seen television.

After the programme was over, some of the boys of the junior secondary came back to look at her. Radha felt she was on top the world and could not stop smiling.
You can see the story here.

let us play musical ball

2009-06-14T17:06:00.001-07:00

The special class children had lots of fun playing musical ball. Each time the music had stopped the one holding the ball had to sing or dance!

learning living skills

2009-06-12T16:54:00.001-07:00

Ritika's mommy is very keen that Ritika learns housework and living skills. So Ritika is now on a special programme where she is learning housework. You can see her in the picture making tea!

new friends

2009-06-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

Kate is our new volunteer. She is from the US. She spends her mornings in the special section and Radha is her new friend. In spite of the fact that Radha still sleeps on the footpath, she comes to class every day and takes her work very seriously

living skills

2009-06-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

It is very important for girls like Champa and Anjali to learn basic living skills. Yesterday they had a how to fold clothes session with Shamika.

Anjali and Shamika

Champa

Champa still has a lot of difficulties but Anjali is becoming an expert so soon we will move to peer teaching! Well done girls.

she slept on the footpath

2009-05-29T17:01:00.001-07:00

Little Radha's home was destroyed yesterday as it was an illegal structure. The litle family slept on the footpath. For more click here.

Back in class

2009-05-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful to see Manu back in class after his terrible illness and above all to see him smile!

the new diva on the block

2009-05-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Shalini came wearing a beautiful outfit. When everyone complimented her, she decided to model for us and was quite a diva!

Thank you for helping us

2009-05-26T16:29:00.001-07:00

project why's hairdressing salon

2009-05-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

Rinky, who is now a fully trained hairdresser cut Ruchi' s and Flore's hair! It was truly professional

Ruchi

Flore

Radha

2009-05-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Little Radha who till recently was a tad shy and diffident amazed us all when she sang a song loud and clear for all to hear. This is the very first time Radha has show active participation and it is huge for all of us. She now participates in all activities even though she cannot use her brittle legs!

She is a lovely spirited girl hose dream is to walk and be a dancer.

nanhe's toilet training

2009-05-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

We have begun Nanhe's toilet training programme. He has a laminated card next to him with the picture of a toilet seat. When he needs to go he picks up his card and shows it to the teacher. We began the training just a few days back and Nanhe is already a pro! Being toilet trained will make a world of difference in the quality of his daily life! God bless him!

Manu

2009-05-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

Manu has a new hairstyle for summer. With 45 degrees Celsius it is really hot, even inside. Manus is still battling for his lofe. His kidneys and liver are still affected though his TB is a little better. His will to live is touching. We hope and pray he makes it and is back in class soon

the tree of life

2009-05-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

The special section children with the help of Jenine, one of our volunteers, created a beautiful tree of life. The tree was pasted onto the wall and then the children drew butterflies, flowers and birds and coloured them. These were then pasted onto to the tree. It was a magical moment for all.

See how they did it:

www.flickr.com

a terrible day

2009-05-11T17:18:00.001-07:00

Saheeda left us on the 9th of May. The class is stunned and cannot understand what happened. Saheeda was a vibrant girl full of life and always smiling. The children mourned her in their own special way and then decided to make a beautiful painting just for her.
With Saheeda gone, the class will never be the same again!

meet the class

2009-05-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Manu, Adult
Manu has a long history with Project Why. He is currently a resident in our foster care program. He loves to sing and is an amazing host. Manu’s story is especially poignant, as he was abandoned by his family and left to beg on the street before we found him. He is an epileptic with both mental and physical disabilities. He is extremely happy to be off the streets and be able to call Project Why his home and live here with dignity. Today Manu is very ill. He has TB and multiple organ failure. We feat for his life.

Pooja, Age 12
Pooja loves to do puzzles and dance. She is hearing impaired and has been coming to Project Why for six years now. Before she came to our center she had never been to school, but now she has learnt sign language, been fitted with a hearing aid, and is learning stitching skills as a means to support herself, which is very important as her father is the sole breadwinner in her family of seven people.

Anurag, Age 14
Anurag has been coming to Project Why for four years now and has really benefited from his time with us. He is autistic, and when his mother first brought him to our program, he lacked basic communication skills and often lashed out violently when he could not express himself. His father ignored his difficulties and often tied him up to control him if he became aggressive as he is one of six siblings and his parents were concerned about the other children. Today, Anurag is friendly and happy and loves cooking

Champa, Age 20
Champa is always smiling. She loves to sing and dance and is extremely friendly. She is living in our foster care program, as she only has her elderly mother to look after her. Her mother cleans homes for a living, so she used to leave Champa, who is mentally retarded, by herself all day and she was abused because she was alone in the street. Her mother brought her to us six years ago, and at the time, she had almost no basic self care skills and had behavioral problems. Now she has learned to take care of herself and basic cooking skills.

Hritik, Age 9
Hritik is is autistic. When he first came to Project Why, he was very shy and did not like to talk to anyone. Now, he has learned to greet people and is learning to read and write. He loves to cook, color, and play musical and sorting games. His father works in a shop and his mother stays at home to look after him and his two siblings, so they are not financially able to provide any special care for him apart from bringing him to

Naneh, Age 10
Naneh and his sister Rucchi are both members of our Special Section. Nanek has had a lot of health problems and multiple operations relating to his bladder and kidneys, which have left him underdeveloped. He is also mentally retarded and cannot walk or talk without support. Nanek is one of four siblings, out of which three are disabled. His mother is a widow and sells food from a cart day and night to support the entire family.

Sahida, Age 16
Sahida lost her hearing at the age of three or four when she had meningitis. She has been with us for six years and has learnt sign language, reading, and writing. She is also studying to become a beautician at a beauty parlor. She is one of six siblings, and before she came to Project Why she was mostly kept at home. Now, she loves her classes, many different activities, and making new friends.

Saheeda passed away on May 15th 2009

Shalini, Adult
Shalini is very affectionate and friendly. She has been coming to Project Why for 7 years. In her time here, she has learned proper behavior, self-care skills, some stitching, and cooking. She has Down syndrome and takes time to learn new skills. Her family is very stable and supportive of her, but did not know how to teach her until she came to us. Shalini enjoys most things, but especially loves singing and dancing.

Puja, Age 6
Puja has only been coming to the Special Section for about six months, but in this short time she has learnted to greet people politely, say some new words, and write the alphabet. She has Down syndrome and takes a long time to learn anything new. Her father works in a factory and she has two other siblings. Her younger sister also has also has Down syndrome. She is very happy to come to school and especially enjoys playing with the toy kitchen, musical games, and coloring.

Preety, Age 20
Preety loves going to the park, sorting, dusting, dancing, and musical games. She can write her own name and all the letters of the alphabet. She is currently learning to write more words, but she is mentally retarded and takes time to master new skills. She has seven members of her family and her father is the only person earning a salary. He works very far away and does not have a lot of time and money to spare, so Preety and her family are very happy that she has opportunities for different activities at Project Why.

Preeti, Age 13
Preeti is extremely bright and does an excellent job with her school work. She is past a 5th class level, and excels especially at Math. She had polio when she was very young and is still unable to walk or use her legs. She still manages to move around the classroom and has learned excellent stitching skills during her time at Project Why. She is now able to make an entire outfit from taking measurements to producing a final product. She will be able to use her skills to support herself eventually, as she is one of five children and her family has limited resources to provide for her.

Anjali, Age 16
Anjali is very verbal and is constantly interacting with her classmates. She is a mildly mentally retarded and one of her legs is deformed, making it difficult for her to walk. She did not get medical treatment for her leg when she was a baby and now it is too late to operate. However, she still manages to move around quite well. She likes painting and shopping or going to the market. She is learning to clean and cook so she can help around the house and hopefully eventually support herself as her mother is completely alone because her father left their family.

Munna, Age 10
Munna’s younger brother, Vicky, lives in our foster care section. They have three other siblings at home and very few resources to go around. Munna needs a lot of support as he is mentally retarded with a very short attention span. He has a lot of difficulty learning new skills and struggles to finish tasks. However, he is an excellent talker and loves to dance! He also has a wonderful sense of humor and is a lot of fun

Umesh, Age 14
Umesh comes from a big family: he has five brothers and sisters, but his mother is a widow and struggles to find steady work. Umesh has cerebral palsy so he can speak, walk, and move around, but slowly and with difficulty. He is a slow learner and forgets things very quickly if he misses any class. He loves coming to school as he is very naughty and loves interaction, especially through group activities and playing outside.

Harsh, Age 16
Harsch is a new addition to our special section and has really learned a lot in the few months he has been with us. When he started coming to our group, he did not like working with others ad needed individual support for all activities. Now, he is learning to work in a group and be more independent. He has difficultly walking and is developmentally delayed. He is one of four children so his sister helps him a lot at home, but his family is hoping he will become more self sufficient during his time with us.

Ruchhi, Age 13
Rucchi is Naneh’s older sister. Their mother is a widow and sells food from a cart day and night to support her family of four children (three of whom are disabled). Rucchi has a neurological disorder which affects her mind and also gives her tremors. She is learning cooking and stitching skills, but slowly and with difficulty. She likes group activities, dancing, and going to the park. She knows how to write her name and the letters of the alphabet already and is working on beginning reading skills.

Geetu, Age 17
Geetu is lucky to have a very supportive family. She is a slow learner with developmental problems, and her family tries to do everything they can to help her. She has three brothers and sisters and her father works in a store. She is able to stitch a little bit and is learning to do more. She loves learning to stitch, doing group activities, playing musical games, and going out for shopping, cooking, or a trip to the park.

Rinky, Age 16
Rinky is a very loyal friend. She is always communicating with all the students and staff and is extremely popular! She is hearing impaired and has been fitted with a hearing aid. She also sees a speech therapist and has special classes to learn sign language. She can read and write and has completed a beautician’s course and is already working in a beauty parlour. She also mastered stitching through taking classes with us. Rinky lost her hearing due to illness as a baby, and her family of three brothers and sisters has always been supportive of her. Her father is a tailor and her mother work as well. She loves to paint and draw.

Ankur, Age 13
Ankur is a very happy child. He is always smiling and uses his expressive face to communicate with others as he has developmental problems and never learned to speak. He also has difficulty learning, although he can write his letters and count. He loves company and his favourite activities are group games and playing with the kitchen. He also enjoys going shopping in the market. His family is very supportive of him although they do not have many resources to help him as he is one of five children and his father works in a dairy shop.

Honey, Age 16
Honey is true to his name: very sweet, but he has difficulty learning and a variety of developmental problems. He needs a lot of special attention as his attention span is extremely short. He is learning to read and write, but has not been with us for very long so can currently only write his name. He is very verbal and love music, dancing and going out, especially to the park or the market. He has one older brother and his father is a watch repairman

The special ones

2009-05-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

The money raised will go to help our special section.

In India, disabled people have no real support or options within the social system, so it is essential for their survival that they remain integrated within their family and community. To that end, our special section focuses on development, rehabilitation, and education. We aim to provide our students with the ability to support and care for themselves as much as possible as well as an opportunity to live with dignity.

Our students have a range of physical and mental disabilities. We work to meet each of their individual needs, which often includes calling in specialists or expensive medical care. An occupational therapist visits the special section five times a week. It is vital for us to provide these services as the students have no other way to gain access to them. All of the members of the special section come from severely underprivileged backgrounds and often their classroom is the only place they are treated with respect and given opportunities to learn and contribute.

A disability is a life long condition, so we do not ask our students to leave once they become young adults. It is important for them to have the stability and resources provided by Project Why in their lives. However, special education is expensive, as the students are all long-term, the student- teacher ratio needs to be kept low, and various specialists come regularly.

How it all began

2009-05-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Last summer Harriet Page and her parents came to spend a short week at Project Why. Something very special happened during that short week. Friendships were sealed and promises made. A few months later Harriet wrote me a wonderful mail where she told us about all she was trying to do to help project why. We were deeply touched. Thus began a perfect partnership that today extends to a whole school reaching out to our children.