Founded 1997 | ||
Type Not for Profit - Registered Trust Website | ||
Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled is a non-profit organization that works for the disabled and is based in Bangalore, India.
Contents
History
The trust was established in 1997 by visually impaired friends.
Affiliations
Education & Nutrition
Samarthanam runs integrated primary and secondary schools and supports visually impaired students pursuing higher education. In the Class 10 Board exams held in 2012, the school had a pass percentage of 94.11%, with the school topper scoring 84.8%. Samarthanam uses technology to nullify disability. A barrier-free, accessible residential school is under construction. A sum of Rs. 1 crore was allocated by the Karnataka Chief Minister in the state budget towards construction of the school.
As part of 'Vidyaprasad', Samarthanam provides mid-day meals to children in government schools.
'Shrishti', Samarthanam's BPO training units in Hubli-Dharwad and Peenya, provide soft skills and call center training to people with disabilities.
Sports
Samarthanam athletes took home seven medals at the 17th National Sports Meet for the Blind (2010) held at Chandigarh. Samarthanam's medal tally included three golds and Subramani broke the national record in shot put.
Samarthanam promotes chess for the blind. The FIDE rating National Open Chess Tournament for the Blind 2012 was organized by Samarthanam, in association with All India Chess Federation for the Blind.
The previous governing body handed over the responsibility of organizing cricket for the blind in India to Samarthanam. Samarthanam funded the Indian team's tour of England where the Indian team defeated England in a four-match one-day series. The Indian team, in collaboration with Samarthanam, also travelled to Pakistan to play the Indo-Pak series. Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) is Samarthanam's sports initiative. The T–20 World Cup Cricket for the Blind is to be held in Bangalore in December 2012. Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Nepal will be taking part, and Saurav Ganguly is the Brand Ambassador for the event.
Rehabilitation
Samarthanam's Rural BPO - 'Kirana' - went live in 2011. The BPO was launched in association with the state-run Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Services (KBITS). The center provides employment opportunities to people with disabilities and rural youth.
Other Areas of Work
'Sunadha' is Samarthanam's troupe comprising visually impaired dancers. 'Sunadha' has performed across India, the U.S. and U.K.
'Parisara', Samarthanam's environmental initiative, provides end-to-end waste management solutions for corporate organizations and residential complexes. Samarthanam Parisara won the People's Green Award at the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2012, winning the grand prize of Rs. 75,000.