Smile

Smile...and the world smiles with you. 

The Niramaya Scheme

http://www.niramayascheme.com/

The Spastics Centre, Kanpur (soon to be called the Ashayen Centre) is one of the few NGO's in the district that is registered to take on applications for the Niramaya Scheme.

The Niramaya Scheme is a health benefit offered to special / disabled people. It works like a health insurance, once you have a policy in place, you can apply and claim for your basic medical / treatment costs and expenses among other things!

If you know someone who could benefit from this scheme or if you just simply want to spread the word, do It now!! We can apply for people who are not students or patients at the Centre too, since we are a registered NGO with the National trust.

Hi There, I'm Praveen

Hi There!!! I'm Praveen ! I come to the Ashayen Centre (The Spastics Centre, Kanpur) to spend time at the Sheltered Workshop, every day! Although I can't hear nor speak - I spend time making interesting products, as instructed to me by thetrainer! I can paint, colour, draw, arrange and do basic craft tasks well!

I need to be sponsored though, to be able to come to the Centre everyday for a long time. It is hard for my parents to bear all my expenses.

I love coming to the Centre. Do you know why? Because I feel at home here.

Saturday Healing Sessions

Dealing with Special Children requires a large amount of patience, care and concern. Our trained and qualified staff are very devoted to every child's overall development here. However, amid the hectic work processes and personal challenges it's easy to suddenly feel a sense of fatigue and tiredness sometimes. This Saturday, we had a small, wholesome Healing Therapy session for the staff. Conducted by a professional Healing Therapist, the trainer showed the staff simple ways to overcome everyday issues and improve their basic ability to deal with them. The staff benefited from the session. In an attempt to ensure there is consistency in this, we are now thinking of keeping regular Saturday Healing Sessions between 9:30 am and 11:00 am.

Visit of Dr Andrew Curran

The Spastics Centre, Kanpur is hosting Dr. Andrew Curran from U.K. between 31/03/2014 to 03/04/2014. He is the main Consultant, Pediatric Neurologist from Alder-Hey hospital, Liverpool, U.K. This 55 year- old British national, is highly qualified in his field of work and commands a good reputation internationally. He has had specialist training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology. He is also an academician who along with 20 Research Papers has authored 2 books. He has several papers to his credit as well. For the past three years he has been offering his service free to children with Cerebral Palsy in Kolkata, Varanasi and this year in Kanpur. He is going to visit the Centre and take lectures at The IMA, Kanpur between 30th March and 3rd April 2014. During this time, Dr. Curran will focus on childhood disabilities and counsel parents and trainers in different areas. Special areas of interest will include Cerebral Palsy, Autistic Spectrum disorder and acquired brain injury. Support us in our work. All medical professionals and parents of children with disabilities are welcome. Today was the first day of his visit to the Centre and it began with consultation sessions. Children with severe physical disabilities were brought in by their parents for a special counselling session. We are happy and proud to have him part of the Centre this week.

Let’s Play a Game!

So it’s that time of the year when the weather changes and brings with it a sea of transformation. Spring is in the air, flowers are on the bloom. The lush green grass has finally started waking up to the rays of the sun. This obviously inspires us and our kids at The Centre to get out of the warm cocoon the severe winters had forced us into, and to finally play! So here’s the game we have in mind!! If YOU, yes YOU can give us five email id’s or contact details of any person you remotely think may be interested in hearing about US – we will pay you back, in kind!! HOW? Well that’s easy! If the people whose information you’ve shared with us choose to be part of our Centre in any capacity (be it giving sponsorships or donating equipment or even just coming and spending time here…) we will send YOU a special Gift!!! We promise! So, get cracking and send in as many email id’s, telephone numbers or names of people and send them in NOW!!! Your special Gift awaits! HIT FORWARD AND SHARE THIS GAME WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!

Gift some cake with love!

Our Sheltered Workshop is proud to present a brand new, interesting albeit exciting product – hand painted Cake Boxes! If you don’t go yum...there’s something wrong here!

These sweet looking cakes boxes, made with oodles love is a new thought and we hope it takes off …we will eventually contact Bakeries in and around KNP to stock the boxes and distribute their yummy products in it.

They looked like little Goddesses

They looked liked little Goddesses…..

We had our monthly celebration this Friday.  This time it was the turn of the Vocational Class students to perform. Led by their teacher – Mrs. Renu, the children were prepped and set for the performance since morning. The theme of the show was a mélange of Basant Panchami, Valentines Day and Shivji celebrations.

Prashant, one of our many talented students sang a solo song – Tum Hi Ho from the movie Aashiqui. We must say, he was so good, it was like as though we were at a concert.

The students then danced to various songs depicting the 3 themes of the day. Songs like Lungi Dance were played and jived to while the student audience enjoyed every minute of the show.

Have you Met Sneha Jaiswal?

Bet you didn’t know – Donations Made to the Center are Tax Deductible!

Bet you didn't know – Donations Made to the Center are Tax Deductible!

It’s February – the time of the year everyone is busy rushing to pay their premiums with the aim of saving taxes. The Indian financial year ends in March and before its termination, people have to get all their paperwork in order. As everyone rushes to their favourite person of the moment – The Chartered Accountant, the nukkad CA probably feels overwhelmed with all the attention. Or does he?

Here’s a thought relevant to the situation of the moment – every donation made to the Spastics Centre, Kanpur is Tax Deductible under section 80G of the Income Tax Law. Allow us to share an extract from the Indian Income Tax rules for the purpose:

80G

Donations to certain funds,charitable institutions etc.

The various donations specified in Sec.80G are eligible for deduction upto either 100% or 50% with or without restriction as provided in Sec 80G

So, every time you play with the option of perhaps helping a child who has special needs, think about the double benefit you will have. A tax deduction on helping someone – doesn't seem such a bad idea now does it?

P.S

The Friday Disaster

Friday afternoon is usually supposed to be a fun time for students because of the much awaited weekend. Who doesn’t like to have a break from school and just enjoy a couple of days of pure laziness after all?

But for some reason, the Friday turned out to be quite scary for our young ones. The centre has a bus that is used to drop and pick students from various places in the city. Like every other Friday, the bus was filled after school hours and prepped up for the day’s journey of dropping the kids back.

Now, this Friday happened to be a rainy, dull, cold day. Perfect day to sit back and laze. As is common with Indian roads around the country, a little bit of rain translates into potholes and puddles of brown, mucky water.

Lo and behold, as the bus was swerving round a street corner, it happened to pass a puddle full of brown water, spilling most of it on a two wheeler rider on the side. This too is a common scenario in our country. If you try to use an umbrella or jacket to keep the rain at bay, other means will find a way to destroy your aim eventually.

What turned nasty was the way the two wheeler rider reacted to the entire situation. It’s not as if he wasn’t accustomed to this happening all the time!!!

This dude, let’s call him “dude” for the sake of neutrality turned around and flung his helmet on our windshield!!! Yes, the windshield of a bus meant to transport special children to and fro! THIS IS REALITY. This is what happens to the world’s innocent, time and again.

The windshield shattered to bits, it also injured the driver in the bargain. Of course, the only bright side of this story is that none of the children got hurt. Thank God!

While we now spend the weekend getting the windshield fixed so that the children can be picked up on time on Monday, let’s also hope that this NEVER happens again to our little ones.

P.S

Do you Know About Corporate Social Responsibility

My experience while Interning at The Spastics Centre, Kanpur - Diksha Pathak

It all started as a compulsory thing for which I was going to get marks back in my college. But very soon without realizing it, coming to the centre became that part of the day where I experienced a completely different sort of happiness.... happiness that was not about me. For a change it was about doing something which could bring a change for the better in the life of the beautiful kids there. Being a law student and intern, my work was to research on the rights of the differently able and make them and their families aware of it. For this purpose I interacted with them and found that on one side of the road there is this "society" which is so harsh on these kids and on the other side of the road is the centre- "The Spastic Centre" which gives them a beautiful world. Here all we talk about is hope, happiness and smiles…all for the kids. Days when I did not have much work, I just wandered around and realized I was smiling. That was the moment I felt that the centre had such positive vibes. Maybe it was because of the "never say die spirit" of the kids or the "we are there" attitude of the teachers... I don’t know what but certainly something it is. My session with the parents developed a sense of responsibility in me. The trust they showed in me and the interest with which they heard me, made me realize what being human is or rather should be. My centre is now a lifetime school for me too. When I go back back to my college I am going to carry bags of hopes and expectations which I have from myself now. Hope of becoming a better person.. of being thankful for what I have got and becoming a lawyer "for the people". I thank this place for giving me some of the greatest memories and introducing me to such beautiful lives. A special THANK YOU to Madam Paroma Sen-Basu and Madam Noronha for being so loving and supporting. All of you are now a part of my life forever. My message to the kids’ there- "Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It is yours. " Lots of love and respect Diksha Pathak

Wishing Anant Good Luck!

One of our talented, bright students, who came to the Centre as a little child is now ready to take on the Class 10 board exams! He has been busy preparing for it and has been getting all the help he can from the teachers and volunteers at the Centre.

Meet Anant Vaish! And send him your Good Luck Wishes too!

Parents and Teachers - Meet

On this 25th of Jan (well, the previous Saturday) to be precise, The Centre had their Parents-Teacher Meet.

In spite of the intense cold, most of the parents of students belonging to the school section came to discuss points related to their child's overall progress and needs. It was a fruitful day because interacting with the caregiver of a special child is always a delightful experience in itself.

During this PTM though, the Centre decided to try and reach out to the parents in another way too. Since the beginning of January, 2 young law students were regularly visiting the Centre and conducting research on various regulations and rules related to the the Disabled community in India. They were primarily here to complete their internship but were also given this task in an attempt to help parents understand more about their children's basic rights!

Diksha Pathak, the intern in concern and a student at the Nirma Institute of Law, Ahmedabad hosted a short, informative and very useful lecture on the basic rights of special people. A greater awareness of these rights will help parents understand how far they can go to help their children, fundamentally!

A Big Hug from The Spastics Centre, Kanpur

Tips to Keep your Special Child Warm This Freeeezing Winterrr

Every child needs a tad more special care and attention during extreme weather conditions. The intense cold that is a yearly guest to the North Indian regions can actually create more havoc than anything else, literally speaking! If the human body starts reacting to the cold in a negative manner, all sorts of health problems ranging from Tubercolosis, Intense Cold and Cough, Hypothermia and others can begin.

For children in general, staying warm is of utmost importance during the winter. Special children are not always in a position to express their discomforts with us. As a result, it is very important to take precautions from the beginning itself.

• As soon as the temperatures start dropping, irrespective of whether you think it's cold or not,  put on a jacket on your child before sending him to school.
• Cover your child's neck and ear area with a scarf or old cloth throughout the winters. These are sensitive body parts that can suffer from intense cold and subsequently once the cold settles in, it can lead to other problems. 
• Ensure that your child ALWAYS wears woolen socks throughout the winter. It is important to ensure that the socks are always clean though. Dirty socks can quickly lead to skin infections in the cold. 
• A woolen cap or hat is a must during the winters. Protecting the head will help prevent headaches, or intense cold from affecting the brain and more. It will also help keep the body warm. 
• Ensure that the child is kept warm when indoors. Use heaters, light small fires or use blankets and layered clothing to keep the child warm.
• Avoid allowing the child to go out too much in the Winter. The chill in the air can affect the body and cause severe health problems. 

While these essential tips apply to almost anybody, if you are caring for a special child, you have to be a tad more careful!

Celebrating The Festive December Spirit and Cheer

December is a month of cheer and celebrations the world over. The spirit of Christmas, the chill in the winter air and the oncoming New Year instills in every single body a spirit of fun, excitement, hope and above all, something new to look forward to.

Just like the festivities in the air create a cheerful ambience for all of us, the spirit of excitement in the air doesn't forget to miss our little children. Teaching young ones to understand the importance of every festival is just as important as instilling in them the spirit of tolerance and acceptance. This is why at The Spastics Centre here at Kanpur, we fondly remember to celebrate everything and in several ways - everyone!

To mark the Birth of Christ and the end of one year and beginning of another, the teachers and students had a small ceremony indoors. The severe cold in the air ensured that the ceremony was held indoors, otherwise we would have been more than happy using the natural cover of the Sun and Sky!

Shikha, the music teacher had taught the children to sing two songs, one each to represent the festivals that were being marked. The children stood in their cute little red and white outfits and held candles in their hands while singing to the rhythm of her harmonium.

One of the students was dressed up as Santa Claus and threw an array of sweets around the hall. No wonder Santa Claus is loved so much the world over. The music continued to play while the young teachers and their students slowly got up to dance to the tunes of a few songs. No celebration is complete without some dancing after all, isn't it?

Life is all about celebrating every moment, every thing that comes our way. If we only to live it simply, that would be so much more than enough!

Paroma