Making life better for poor, differently abled students: Vinyasa Trust
BENGALURU: Around 2.68 crore people in the country, or 2.21 per cent of the total Indian population of 121 crore, are differently-abled, as per the 2011 Census. Of these differently-abled people, 69 per cent stay in rural areas. Catering to their needs, the Vinyasa Trust for Differently Challenged Institute provides free education, accommodation and healthcare to economically disadvantaged students.
Vinyasa works for the betterment and bright future of more than 50 different types of disabled, visually impaired, physically challenged and financially disadvantaged students. Vinyasa provides them with free education, accommodation, food and healthcare to disabled students from below poverty line. The trust helps them pursue bachelor’s, master’s degree as well as KAS / IAS exams besides many other competitive exams with the help of their volunteer teams.
Abdul Javeed, Managing Trustee, Vinyasa Trust, told Deccan Chronicle, “We have noticed that differently-abled people in urban areas get better education and live in better conditions than people in rural areas. While 67 per cent of the total differently-abled people are literate in urban areas, it falls to 49 per cent in rural areas. We work both in rural and urban areas with the help of latest educational facilities, including Digital Audio Library. We have provided students with various educational facilities and work towards their better future. We allow them to explore their talent in arts and sports. Our vision is to support visually impaired, physically challenged, speech and hearing impaired, mentally challenged and underprivileged people through developmental initiatives in education, technology and social and sports/cultural streams.”
Trust members said that they ensure the welfare of differently-challenged and underprivileged students by helping them pursue their careers, both in rural and urban areas. It creates awareness among students about their socio-economic, health/food, art/culture, and sports responsibilities.
The trust recently launched a new programme, Swachchamaya, to collect items for recycling. It is aimed at contributing to the economy by providing education / livelihood opportunities to people with disabilities and the underprivileged.
“This programme is important as recycling helps reduce pollution caused by waste, and create a cleaner environment. Swachchamaya has been working towards reducing the burden on landfills by recycling. The programme is also contributing to the economy by providing education and livelihood opportunities to people with disabilities and underprivileged. We are making our team involved in many other activities,” said Mr Madhusudhan K., who is visually impaired and trustee of the NGO.
The trust works on multiple initiatives which make it easier for the disabled to learn and grow in society. There is a general lack of knowledge on educators’ part, as many don’t know how to teach and look after specially-abled students. Vinyasa Trust provides for specialised care to these students to make life easier for them.
