Society for Child Development taps into the creative side of disabled people to empower them

People with disabilities tend to struggle for support as they grow older and it is this gap that the Society for Child Development(SfCD), a non-profit organization in Delhi, is trying to meet.

Set up in 1992, SfCD believes that disabled people should get the resources they need for quality education and skill development depending on their specific conditions and requirements.

Madhumita Puri, Founder, decided to do so by tapping into the creative aspect in disabled people. This sets SfCD apart from the other initiatives.

At SfCD, disabled people are not just given the routine skills training, but also encouraged to find the artisans and creators within them.

Puri believes that creativity lifts the barriers of disability, giving wings to the imagination. The core idea is to empower every single person in a unique and complete way. SfCD does this by starting with basic education, training, mentoring and continues the support even after people with disabilities get employment. The focus is on disabled people from families with weaker financial situations.

For people with disabilities, skill development is very important. Once they get employment the world opens up for them. However, social stigma and lack of awareness in families hampers the education and growth of people with disabilities. We wish to address this by using creativity as a tool to break barriers. – Madhumita Puri, Founder, Society for Child Development.

Children with mental disabilities in the age group of 3-18 years are given quality education at Prabhat, and those above 18 years are trained in creative skills and crafts.

SfCD is behind many initiatives like employing disabled people in the Trash to Cash initiative, setting up of the website of the Disability India Network, giving free legal help to the needy through the Online Legal Aid Cell, and the creation of a parent support network. These are just some of the many initiatives.

Efforts that have been widely appreciated across social media platforms. “If everyone recycles trash, what a wonderful world that would be. And if one could turn it into income generating products, all the more better. Thanks Madhumita Puri for showing the path,” says Sunita Patnaik, of Walmart India on Twitter.

SfCD not only enables disabled people, but also supports parents and families. The operations at the SfCD center are managed by a well-trained staff, of which around 65% are people with disabilities.

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