Donate to a Residential School for Special kids

Children with special needs from lower socio-economic groups lack access to free special education because of low social and familial acceptance and awareness, depriving them of their right to development, future employment, and a quality life.

In the 10 years that Gharkul has worked with special children from lower income groups, we have identified that our beneficiaries have a host of challenges to overcome that are potential barriers to their optimal growth and development. Our beneficiaries all of who are from lower income groups are prone to malnutrition, neglect or harsh parenting due to parental apathy, unawareness or inability to support them. The education that each child receives at Gharkul is based on an initial assessment. Children are taken to government hospitals for diagnoses and assessment. The teacher at Gharkul also makes focused observations for a period of 3 months to identify the interests, strengths, and needs of the child. This is a prerequisite to creating a solid Educational Plan for each child and allocating classes. Along with Education, therapies and activities are an important part of the Gharkul program. These have been incorporated to make the education experience holistic, relevant and enjoyable.

About the NGO

• Vision: A world where all Special Children access quality Education and Employment.

• Mission: We enable children with special needs to become self – reliant by catering to their needs of education, vocational training, life skills, therapy and    treatment in a supportive, nurturing environment and create awareness in society about their unique needs.

• Core Values: Right to Live with Dignity , Right to Quality Life and Right to education. Gharkul has been founded by Sunil Satpute, a social worker who has  been working with street children since 1993. His qualification is MSW and LLB and social work experience is spans 21+ years. During the course of slum  rehabilitation project, Sunil Satpute (Founder & Trustee) observed that the number of special children in slum is quite alarming.

Often these children were  confined in four walls, disconnected from the world. The lack of education and awareness about needs for special children deprived parents to access early  intervention. The children and parents were victimised of social stigma that only worsened the child’s basic ‘right to education’. Even if the parents wished to seek treatment and education for the child, the thought of high expense towards therapies burdened them. The immobile children were left on their own while the parents went out for labour wage work to earn their daily bread. Evidently, the sight didn’t appear any better for the children. And this concern birthed Gharkul. Gharkul started as Day care centre in 2007 with a group of 8 children with special Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and Developmental Delay).from the slums. Today Gharkul’s strength is 52.