SOS Children’s Village
Khajuri Kalan is a project for Long-Term Care,
Rehabilitation, Training & Allied Services
for Developmentally Challenged Children. Coming
from diverse circumstances these children need
focused efforts that support them in realizing
their potential and help them participate in
the mainstream of life. The first and foremost
need of these children is to be in normal surroundings
where they can learn and grow with others. At
the same time their special requirements need
to be addressed. Central to these is the development
of a physical environment that is supportive,
facilitating and encourages independence and
freedom, while providing a secure surrounding.
The project provides residential facilities
for care of such children; vocational training
facilities to provide them opportunity to participate
productively in society; in-house workshop and
agricultural activities for those unable to
go back to society. It is also going to provide
a training institution for equipping these children
with necessary skills, those who intend working
with these children and adults.
The Government of Madhya Pradesh
has donated 70 acres of land close to BHEL within
the Municipal limits of Bhopal, the capital
city. The Project provides a barrier free architecture
and caters to the special needs of the developmentally
challenged children.
The Project is going to be
completed in three phases:
Phase I of the project
includes the development of Children's Village,
Medical Center, Therapy and Skill Development
Center and a Day Care Center.
In the first phase, the Medical
center, 12 Family homes, 1 Community house,
1 Village shop, guest house, administrative
& maintenance block and 6 Co-workers residences
are completed.
Children's Village
The Children’s Village
aims at integrating developmentally challenged
children into normal life while providing for
their special needs. A beginning has already
been made and 63 children (31boys and 32 girls)
with special needs have been brought home and
are now under the care of 12 SOS mothers and
18 aunts. The mothers in the Village have undergone
a 6 month training course by National Trust
to take care of children with special needs.
The co-workers in the Children’s Village
are also specially trained and registered with
Rehabilitation Council of India.
Medical Center
The Medical Centre provides
high quality basic medical support to the resident
children. The facilities like Special education
centre which at present has 39 children, Hydrotherapy
Center, Physiotherapy Center with 21 children
attending it, Speech therapy and Early Intervention
Center at present with 12 children are functioning
under the Medical Centre. All these centers
are well equipped. All the 63 children from
the Children’s Village are undergoing
different therapies in the Medical centre.
Day Care Center
The day care center will provide
specialised day care facilities for 150 to 200
children who are not residents of the Children’s
Villages. These children will also utilize the
services of the Therapy and Skill Development
Center.
The
day care center will provide specialised day
care facilities for 150 to 200 children who
are not residents of the Children's Villages.
These children will also utilize the services
of the Therapy and Skill Development Center.
Parents' Training
Center
The Training Center will provide
training to parents with disabled children for
dealing with their children in day to day life.
This training is specially designed by the National
Trust under the Ministry of Social Justice &
Empowerment and is of 10 days duration.
Vocational Training
Center and Workshop
The Vocational Training Center
will teach independent living to children with
multiple disabilities. An important component
of the facility will be a Vocational Training
Center that provides alternatives to agriculture
related activities. For children having difficulty
in getting into the mainstream, covered workshops
will provide opportunity for repetitive trades.
Some of the courses which are offered here are
Brick laying & Masonry, Carpentry, Weaving
& Handcrafting, Metal Work, Handlooms, Screen
printing, File making, Candle making and Agarbati
making.
Phase
III will be the development of Training Facilities
including an Institute of Rehabilitation Studies
(Shri J. N. Kaul Institution of Rehabilitation),
Research Centers, Resource and Information Center.
The main aim of this institute would be to generate
main power capable of dealing, training and
handling people with disability.