News

EPICS supports a little known Mallikamba ? an NGO and school for Mentally challenged children
EPICS collaborated with Mallikamba Institute of Mentally Handicapped and Associated Disabilities (MIMHAD) in Warangal, AP to support the basic education on life skills and provide shelter to these abandoned children.

The institute was founded in 1996 by Ms. B. Rama Leela, after finding that both her children suffered mental retardation due to juvenile epilepsy. The lack of schools for special children in Warangal district aggravated her hardships. As she aptly put it ' I knew they were never going to lead a normal life; they would never eat, walk and talk like the regular children. But deep in my heart, I knew that they were the same innocent children as everyone else.'

Today the institute is a centre for 200 mentally challenged children (80 residential and 120 day scholars) in age group 3-58 yrs (with average age group being 10-15 years). The institute has 19 teaching staff and 23 support staff. The institute assesses each child and classifies his / her condition into 3 categories based on a set criteria

• Moderate,
• Severe and
• Profound Mental illness.

The institute provides the children with physiotherapy to rehabilitate different types of Issues. The institute also engages in speech therapy, behavior modification, special education and vocational training.

Accordingly, the institute attempts to teach these children the following:

• Pre Primary: Basic life skills - Toileting, hand functioning, brushing, dressing, combing, eating, bathing etc.
• Vocational: Slightly developed self skills - Vocational Sheltered workshops for slightly developed children (where they learn to be engaged in a particular task for some time, making soaps, washing powder etc).
• Pre-Vocational - Children are trained to be engaged for some time, identify colors, making simple covers etc.)

Education at MIMHAD is all encompassing and includes coaching on basic life skills apart from proving formal literacy.

EPICS is the Lead Sponsor for IIMPACT's West Bengal Initiative
In continuation of our successful engagement with IIMPACT, EPICS has been the lead sponsor of IIMPACT?s West Bengal initiative. As a part of this thrust into Eastern India, IIMPACT and CINI (Child In Need Institute), a Kolkata based NGO, will be setting up learning centers in 30 villages of South 24 Parganas. These centers will provide quality primary education to over 1200 girls who have never been to school or have dropped out of school within 1-2 years of schooling.

These 30 centers will be coordinated from the local office at Diamond Harbour and IIMPACT ?s project In-charge and 3 supervisors will also operate from here. Each supervisor will look after 10 centers.

IIMPACT is an initiative of alumni of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India. IIMPACT?s mission is to mobilize and motivate non-school going girls, between the ages of 6 and 14, from economically and socially backward rural areas of India, and put them firmly on the track of literacy through quality primary education. 17,000 girls are currently enrolled in IIMPACT's girl child education programme.

EPICS collaborates with Nireekshana to support schooling of special children
EPICS collaborated with Nireekshana to support the education needs of 30 HIV+ / AIDS affected children. Mr. Vikas Khadloya, Founder EPICS India visited Nireekshana in May, 2010 and met with Dr. Sujai Suneetha and his wife Dr. Lavanya Suneetha of Nireekshana.

Nireekshana ACET (AIDS Care, Education & Training) is basically a community based project dedicated to compassionate care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS including children.

Children are categories into 2 group - Infected children (HIV Positive) and Affected Children (children whose parents are AIDS/ HIV postive). Apart from free medical care and counselling, they also sponsor education for these children on need and merit basis. Report cards and progress of the student is kept track of on regular basis.

Although the institute undertakes credible work in the area of education which are in line with the objects of EPICS, they frequently fall short of funds and hence EPICS has partnered with them to support education of 30 such HIV infected / affected children for one year at a semi-private English medium school.

EPICS Goes MAD
EPICS collaborated with Make A Difference (MAD) to help 250 urban children in street shelters, orphanages and poor homes in Delhi into the main stream. The aim is to provide English and Maths coaching and bring these children at par with private school children.

Make A Difference is an Organization of built and run by youngsters with the aim to provide quality finishing education to the underprivileged children in urban areas. Instead of sticking to the tedious school syllabus, MAD volunteers aim to prepare them in facing life better by improving their communication skills, computer skills and their overall personality. Few of the success stories of amazing transformation in individuals have been truly inspiring. Currently MAD is working in 11 districts in India with over 800 volunteers, teaching 2500 children.

Asa testament of their good work, the MAD Mumbai chapter was recently visited by Michelle Obama, where she sang and danced with the children.