Limited funds no barrier to providing disabled kids nothing less than the best

From an NGO that started off to support elderly people, Sneha Society for Rural Reconstruction in Nizamabad, Telangana, today reaches out to children with a range of disabilities.

Their target is to reach out children from economically backward families, who find it hardest to access opportunities and get left behind due to lack of awareness.

Sneha Society was founded in 1992 by a group of passionate social workers. The start was hard as they underwent many financial difficulties. That did not deter them and today they have a range of projects that reach out to kids with learning disabilities and visual disabilities, a school for deaf children, a charity eye hospital, an an inclusive education centre, to name just a few.

We have always faced a dearth of funds. Even though we are supposed to get government grants, the funds have not reached us till date- S Siddaiah, Social Worker & Secretary, Sneha Society

Today, over 300 children with disabilities are part of this NGO. They offer both residential and non-residential schooling systems. The struggle for funds remains, but Sneha Society continues to offer their services for free.

“When we started Sneha Society, we have gone through a lot of problems after trying to create awareness amongst public. Most of the parents were reluctant to send their children for studies, especially those from rural parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. There was a lot of social stigma attached. Our team organized many awareness campaigns and counselled parents. After 1995, when the Disabilities Act was introduced, things got better”, says Siddaiah.

Sneha Society focuses on extracurricular activities, especially sports. They believe that with government support and donors they can reach out to more children with disabilities across Telangana.

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