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Progress Report July 2009
Utkarsh Residential School for Differently Enabled Children India
MARTIN LUTHER KING CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
Utkarsh Residential School for Differently Enabled (mentally retarded) Children, started its work from the 2008-2009 academic year in Chhancha, Baripada, to cater to the long felt needs of the people of Mayurbhanj district India and its neighborhood.
Christine Allen, a long time friend of Christians Aware, and Shanti Ranjan Behera of the Director of the Centre paid a visit to Orissa on 26th and 27th January 2006. The Martin Luther King Centre for Democracy & Human Rights applied to the Diocese of Derby, Harvest Appeal Fund through Christine in the same year.
Official permission was received from the Government of Orissa, Women and Child Development Department no 144/WCD of 2007, Bhubaneswar, dated 17.10.2007 valid until 16.10.2010.
Everything was set to start the school, at Jharpokharia (Bombay Chhak) under Saraskana Block. A Building was taken on a rental basis, personnel were hired, stationery was purchased and a Puja ceremony was performed at the opening of the school. A few meetings were held where parents came along with their “differently enabled” children. Home visits were made and Anganwadi workers and elected representatives of grass root democratic institutions were contacted. Unfortunately this was all to no avail. There was some resistance due to the fact that it is a Naxalite (Maoist/Marxist) area and the border district of Orissa, close to Baharagoda a part of Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal States where there is unrest. As a result there was no alternative other than to close down the office and cease activities in 2007-2008 despite all the work which had been done.
Not to be deterred, in 2008, the project was relocated to Baripada, the district headquarter of Mayurbhanj.
The School admitted 26 children during the 2008-2009 academic year. Out of 26 children, 7 children left the school and one has remained absent for some time. Hence, there are 18 children at present. 13 are boys and 5 are girls. 17 are residents and 1 is a day pupil. 12 children belong to the “Scheduled Tribe”(ST) community, 5 to “Other Backward Castes” (OBCs) and 1 to the General category.
Mayurbhanj has 26 city blocks. Out of 26 blocks there are students from 9 blocks (Samakhunta, Rasgobindpur, Betnoti, Kuliana, Bangiriposi, Baripada, Khunta II, Saraskana, Raruan etc.).
There are four full time staff employed by the school:
* Biswanath Rana is a professionally trained teacher meeting the standards of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), New Delhi.
* Santosh Kumar Naik is caretaker, guard and handyman.
* Ms Puspa is the house mother
* Ms Rebati is the cook.
Apart from these four persons there is a part time accountant and an office clerk.
The students are sent to us by the District Disability Rehabilitation Center (DDRC) which is a government organization. The children are given a disability certificate by a medical board consisting of experts from different depart-ments of the District Head Quarter Hospital headed by the Chief District Medical Officer, Mayurbhanj.
The Derby Diocese, World Development Forum, has a World Development Adviser (WDA), Mr. Christopher Harrison who took active interest in getting the project sanctioned and 7000 GBP was donated. The Reverend Mark Colman, St. Christopher’s Vicarage, Diocese of Liverpool and Barbara Butler, Bishops House, London played an important role in recommending the project to the appropriate quarters.
The school was closed for the summer vacation, reopening on 25th June 2009. It is planned to have a fresh admission during the 2009-2010 academic year.
Due to the generous donation of the Diocese of Derby, it was possible to make the first start in rented premises. Now there is an urgent need to expand and to cover the running costs of the project. The German government is able to make a grant for a building but this will be first available in 2010 and funds are urgently needed to purchase the land (without which the grant will not be made available). Thus grants and capital donations are being sought.
These poor children have no chance to gain any kind of dignity or make even a meager living unless we help them. Just 35 Euros (about GBP 25) will feed, house, clothe, educate and look after such a disadvantaged child so a little goes a long way. It is a great help if individuals or organizations can make a long term commitment to give this kind of support.
