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This is about the visit to one of the remedial school (under the aegis of VIDYA) situated at Phule nagar , near IIT, Powai. The school is supervised by its co-coordinator Mrs. K.B. Joshi, a retired KVIIT teacher, who has been mentoring about 65 under privileged children, from phule nagar and surya nagar, for the past 6 years.

Besides these children, Mrs. Joshi has also mentored more than 60 women by teaching them how to read and write. The passion with which she has been managing this school is unparalled. Despite belonging from an affluent family, she never let the strata difference make her wards feel alienated. Nor does she think twice even if she has to walk to school weathering all seasons. She has a son, working with Transocean and a computer engineer daughter, settled in the USA.

Below is a video interview with Mrs.Kadambari Joshi where she shares her experience about running this remedial school at Phule Nagar slums.

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The sound of music engulfed me as I walked into a ground-floor apartment at Powai. A group of young men and women was practising a dance — surrounded by grinning and cheerful youth in wheelchairs. The dancers were disabled but who noticed? The josh — the verve and sheer joy — with which they tried to master their steps was riveting. Music and dance was the last thing I expected in a centre for the disabled, conditioned as I was by other, more clinical institutions. But, says Sujata Srivastava, music and dance and, indeed, an attitude of work and play, are integral to the spirit of the MBA Foundation. “You will find the atmosphere at our centres very lively. We believe in integrating the disabled with the able as a seamless process,” she said.

Started by Meenakshi and CR Balasubramanian in 2001, the MBA (Mutually Beneficial Activity) Foundation believes in providing a ‘life with self-esteem and dignity for the disabled’. It helps them to become productive members of the society and trains them to acquire skills to support themselves. Apart from counselling and occup-ational therapy, they are given vocational training, taught to use computers for data-entry or learn to operate photocopiers, scanners and lamination machines or are trained as telephone operators. After the training, efforts are made to find them jobs and give support to integrate them into their work scenario.

Attempts are made to assess and strengthen the abilities of the challenged. “In one instance, a girl came to us after losing both her legs in an accident. We found she had a talent for cooking and she began making puranpolis and rotis. Now, she’s been with us for the past five years. Last year, she underwent a special education course and appeared for the NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) and cleared three subjects,” Sujata informed. Various products like stationery, candles and agarbathis, aprons, bags, home-made snacks and detergents are made and sold under the brand of GODS, an acronym for Groups of Disabled.

Both Meenakshi and Sujata had worked earlier with the Spastics Society of India (SSI) having joined it as parents of disabled children. SSI has a cut-off age of 17 which leaves disabled adults at a loose end and barely ready to join the mainstream. Their own learning as parents led them to train in special education and counselling. Sujata says, "I always look into a parent’s eyes from my eyes." 

"Several organisations for the disabled provide training for a few years, after which the student is expected to fend for himself/herself. But we tried to go beyond and provide employment and, if necessary, complete life-care" says Meenakshi. Today, the Foundation has 75 students in three centres at Powai, Chembur and Thane. Its services include early childhood intervention, coaching dropouts for the NIOS programme, executive development and training.
Its residential life-care programme has around 12 residents (some rejected by their families) and provides all the care, including medical and emotional support, to help them lead a fulfilled life. Although numbers are restricted due to space constraint, a day-care centre is a popular option where severely and moderately disabled adults can avail vocational training, therapy and, fun and relaxation activities like music, dance, yoga, story-telling, etc.

There are several schemes and programmes for the disabled but reaching out to them is difficult and community support is rather slow. The MBA Foundation desperately needs space for its programmes to expand its reach. “Life-care is so important. Our students will need some form of permanent life-care. And we need space to reach out to more and more people,” says Meenakshi. Till then, the Foundation perseveres, with a smile and a prayer.

How can you support MBA Foundation?

Sponsor day care and therapy of one resident for one month for Rs1000 (appx US$21)

Contribute to their corpus fund.

Article sourced from :http://blog.giveindia.org/2008/12/ngo-in-depth-mba-foundation.html

Sourced from http://www.karmayog.com/ngoarea/andheri.htm

Giants group of Powai Saheli 
Karmayogi: Dr. Smita Puniyani, President 
Tel: 9869365092
Fax: 
Email: smita.puniyani@gmail.com 
Website: 
Category: 
Notes: 
Profile: 

Haggai Institute
A-102, Jal Vayu Vihar, Sector – A,
Near Hiranandani Gardens,
Powai
Mumbai 400076
Karmayogi: Mr. Paul N. Balasundaram, Manager – Operations
Tel: 9821072647
Fax: 
Email: nbalasundaram@netscape.net  
Website: 
Category: Social Welfare
Notes: Leadership, Training
Profile: 

Kathleen Davis Institute for Orphans
601/E Prashant Apts.
Opp. I.I.T. Main Gate
Powai
Mumbai – 400 076
Karmayogi: Mr. R. E. Ranade, Director
Tel: 
Fax: 
Email: 
Website: 
Category: Children
Notes: Orphange
Profile: 

Mutually Beneficial Activities Foundation (MBA) 
Gods’ Heavens Bldg.
Crystal Palace Complex
Rambaug
Powai
Mumbai 400076
Karmayogi: Mr. C R Balasubramanian, Chairman 9322838879
Tel: 28576972 
Fax: 28574456  
Email: meenakshi@lifecare-disabled.org   crbmanian@rediffmail.com 
Website: www.lifecare-disabled.org  
Category: Mentally Challenged
Notes: Established in December 2001, provides life care for the disabled persons through employment. Activities like assessment, occupation, counselling for parents and beneficiaries, therapy – speech, physio, group, occupational, value adding, relaxation activities and care services; Day care & residential care – both personal & hygiene, for persons with different disabilities like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, hyperactivity, dyslexia, multiple disabilities, visually impaired, mentally challenged.
Profile: www.karmayog.com/ngos/mbaf.htm 

Nav Nirmiti
‘Discover it’ Flat No. 2 Lake Site
1st Floor Near Powai Hospital
Opp. SBI, IIT Main Gate 
Powai
Mumbai 400076
Karmayogi: 
Tel: 25792628, 25773215, 25784647
Fax: 
Email: 
Website: 
Category: Employment and Income Generation
Notes: 
Profile:  

Prerana, Mumbai
C-603, Eden III
Hiranandani Gardens
Powai
Mumbai – 400076
Karmayogi: Ms. Priti Patkar 
Tel: 25700684
Fax: 25700684
Email: pppatkar@gaisbm01.vsnl.net.in 
Website: 
Category: Children
Notes: Prerana is involved in the activities for the welfare of prostitutes. Its activities include development and re-integration of women and child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. To eliminate Second Generation Trafficking of the children Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking (VOCSET). To prevent Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) of children, minor, under aged girls and young women. To provide and Optional Dignified Life to the children of women VOCSET through comprehensive social intervention in their situation. More particularly, to give inputs like education, shelter, health, nutrition, recreation, vocational training, personality development, value education, counseling, etc. Aims & Objectives: To work on women’s related issues.
Profile: 

Vidya Mumbai
No.12, Student Activity Center
IIT Bombay 
Powai
Mumbai 400076
Karmayogi: 
Tel: 25764089, 25768208, 25768135
Fax: 
Email: vidya_ngol@hotmail.com , vidyamumbai@yahoo.com 
Website: www.vidya-india.org 
Category: Children
Notes: 
Profile: 

Jago India Movement

303-B, Alpha, Main Street
Hiranandani Business Park 
Powai, Mumbai – 400076
Off No: +91 22 40053333
Fax No: +91 22 40050033
E-mail ID: reach@jimmumbai.org
Website: www.jimmumbai.org

Jaago India Movement (JIM) is a non-profit making organization, an NGO which has been formed post 26/11 by an action group in Powai.
After the terror attacks, while citizens were still troubled by the painful images they witnessed on the television and while peace marches and candlelight vigils had been held at various venues, many citizens felt the need that a change is necessary.

MANCH – NORTH-EAST MUMBAI CITIZENS

Row House 5, Powai Vihar Complex,

Powai, Mumbai 400 076.

 Email: manch@mail.com

Manch – North East Mumbai Citizens was recently launched to promote social, civil, educational causes in the district of North East.  The Manch will also act as a platform to focus on civic and other related issues.

Udaan India Foundation 
2202, Odyssey II
Hiranandani Gardens
Powai
Mumbai – 400076 
Ph: 022- 40000392 
Email : udaanindia1@gmail.com

Website: http://udaanindiafoundation.org