Jagruti Palak Sanstha brings light into the lives of disabled children in Thane

Jagruti Palak Sanstha is an NGO exclusively for teenagers and children with learning and intellectual disabilities. Located in Thane, this NGO has been empowering people with disabilities since the year 2002.

Jagruti was started by a few parents who had children with disabilities. Most of them were unaware of the different programmes or ways to help their child. They knew that the best thing was to join hands with other parents who faced similar problems. That is how Jagruti Palak Sanstha was founded!

This venture comes under the Thane Muncipal Corporation. Today, over 167 parents and their children are a part of Jagruti. They have a day care centre and also an activity centre for children.

This NGO focuses on providing vocational training to children so that they can stand on their own feet. Apart from children, mothers are also trained in various skills like block printing and making artefacts that are later sold off for a good profit. Recently, they conducted a Diwali sale which was a grand success!

Shyamashree Bhonsle has been a part of Jagruti Palak Sanstha ever since it was founded. She used to work for the Thane Municpal Corporation’s special school which was established in 1985. Having being closely associated with Jagruti, Bhonsle says that she is proud of how the NGO has grown over the years.

Most people at our NGO are from economically backward families. We make sure that parents are also an integral part of the NGO. For the past many years, I have been trying to spread awareness among parents who have children with disabilities. It has not been an easy task. But things are definitely getting better. I deal with many single mothers too. At Jagruti, we make sure that single mothers are empowered through some vocational skills. We want our children and their parents to have the best life- Shyamashree Bhonsle, Advisor, Jagruti Palak Sanstha.

Children are provided many therapies including speech, occupational and even dance therapies! They have skill development programmes and students are introduced to academics as well. Jagruti also has a lot of young volunteers who regularly visits the campus to reach out to disabled children.

Bhonsle proudly says that some of their students are working in the retail sector and earning up to Rs 8000 a month! Apart from empowering themselves, they are bread winners of the family as well.

Rahim Abdul Mullani’s 20 year old son Mohsin has an intellectual disability and cerebral palsy. He has been a part of Jagruti for the past two years.

“Various activities at Jagruti have helped my son a lot. He has always loved painting. But was unaware about how to go about doing it! Now, he paints beautiful pictures. Mohsin has also learnt to do things on his own. He knows the basics of computers too”, says Mullani.

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