Swayamkrushi Marks 35 Years Of Empowering Persons With Disabilities

Swayamkrushi has completed 35 years of service to persons with intellectual disabilities and says it has supported 250 people since Manjula Kalyan founded the Hyderabad-based non-profit in 1991.

The organisation operates a school, a hostel for about 70 girls, five group homes, therapy units and a special education college from its five-acre campus at Chennapur in Jawahar Nagar. Its programmes cover education, vocational training, residential care and independent living skills.

“We strive to equip persons with intellectual disabilities with the skills, knowledge and support needed to lead fulfilling lives and become self-reliant members of society,” said Manjula Kalyan, founder-director of Swayamkrushi. “Our vision is to create an inclusive society where they can thrive, achieve their goals and live with dignity and self-esteem.”

Kalyan founded the organisation on the principle that persons with special needs should have equal opportunities for learning and personal development. Swayamkrushi later expanded its activities to include the rehabilitation and social inclusion of adults requiring different levels of care.

“I conceived the idea of group homes,” Kalyan said. Each home accommodates eight women aged above 18. Of them, three have mild intellectual disabilities, four have moderate disabilities and one has a severe disability.

The college offers a Bachelor of Education course in Special Education affiliated with Osmania University and plans to introduce a Master of Education course.

Vocational training has also helped some residents secure paid employment. Ten women trained at Swayamkrushi are employed at Ratnadeep stores in weighing, sealing, barcoding and cleaning roles.