PREFACE While trying to introspect and retrospect the services, Bikash has completed its 2 decades of landmark in serving the humanity. It gives me immense pleasure to share the milestones achieved as well as gear up for the celebration of two decades of services. Ever since Bikash has undertaken the robust task of addressing childhood disabilities and providing services to the children suffering from Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Autism and Multiple Disabilities, it has grown from strength to strength as it continues to meet its commitments. Intending to provide for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the differently-abled children so that they can be mainstreamed into the community, our Special School continues to operate from its own campus at the outskirts of Bankura town and serve the special children coming from near and far. Special Education, Early intervention, therapeutic management, Functional literacy, Counselling, Pre-vocational Skill & Vocational Skill training, etc. have been provided free of cost to over 100 children from Monday to Friday by professionally qualified personnels. Having reached on the two decades of functioning, we can gladly say that our journey has been an enlightening and enriching one coupled with amazing lessons, inspite of all the turmoils we have faced. We continue to emphasize and work on advocacy, vocational skill training and economic rehabilitation of the Persons with Disabilities. Keeping in view, the Empowerment of Person with Disabilities, we have conducted Skill Development training of Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with Vocational Rehabilitation for the Handicapped (VRCH) Centre. Kolkata and National Institute for the Orthopedically Handicapped (NIOH), Kolkata. Meanwhile, we have started to form Self-Help Groups of Persons with Disabilities. Buyer seller meet has been arranged to showcase their talent and products Early Childhood Care and Education has been another top priority area of our intervention as we believe that the first five years of child’s life is most crucial to his /her all round development. Subsequently early detection, correct diagnosis, early intervention and appropriate referrals have been practiced with all sincerity and efforts. With the vision of developing human potential so that, women and children hailing from the underprivileged section, can learn and act for their holistic development, we have sustained our interventions in Rural Sanitation programme, Revised National Tuberculosis programme, Axshay India Round 9 TB Control programme, Universal Salt Iodization programme etc. during the past year. While the success rate of our achievement is quite high and recognizable, there still remains a glaring need in the community to continue or initiate more of such similar interventions in the near future. Being a child focused organization, Child Protection have always been a common agenda in all our programmes and interventions. Therefore, to protect the vulnerable and at risk children we are running a Boys’ Home, Girls’ Home, Special Home for the challenged children, Open Shelter for street & Platform children, Learning Centre for the tribal and backward community children, besides a pre-primary and a primary non-formal education centre. Our organization is recognized by the Govt. of West Bengal (Commissioner for Disabilities) as well as the National Trust, Govt. of India. We are thankful to LittleBigHelp, Denmark for their generous support to carry out our philanthropic work for these hapless children. Also we are very grateful to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports, GOI, Department of Women and Child Development & Social Welfare, Govt. of W.B., National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development, District ICDS Cell, Bankura GLRA and UNICEF- India. Heartfelt thanks goes to our team members and volunteers for their tireless effort to achieve our goal. We are thankful to our Donors, Knowledge partners, Guardians, Governing Body Members and well wishers. Our main concern now is to further empower the challenged Persons with disabilities (children and adult) as well as the vulnerable, at risk and deprived communities, so that, they may overcome their barriers, gain access to their rights and become a potential citizen of the Nation. We, therefore, appeal to all concerned for extending their support in our endeavor to carry out our service for the under privileged in Bankura. Uttam Mukherjee Secretary Annual Report 2015-16 2 BIKASH Vision Statement To create an inclusive, just and rights based society where women and children, especially those disadvantaged are empowered and expanded completely. Mission Statement To empower women and children and bring about holistic development in the community. Objectives To enable marginalized communities especially women and children to sustain activities for social and economic empowerment and ensure social justice. To initiate strategies for rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities and social inclusion of person with disabilities. To generate social transformation through social audit, public advocacy and dialogue backed with social mobilization. To adopt multiple channels of communication for promoting behaviour change complementing capacity building efforts. Networking, linkaging and coordinating with government departments, PRIs, NGOs and Training Institutes for mobilization and appropriate use of resources, maximize replication and address exclusion. Our Culture Prior in depth study through Action based Research. Strive for Community Based and Right Based Approach. Holistic and sustainable development. Co-ordination with Govt., PRIs, Academic and Training Institute. Commitment and accountability. Annual Report 2015-16 3 Our Donor (2015-16) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India. The National Trust, Govt of India. Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of W.B. Department of Women and Child Development & Social Welfare, Govt. of W.B. National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD). LittleBigHelp, Denmark. UNICEF, Kolkata. District Administration, Bankura. Central Bank of India, Bankura. National Institute for the Orthopedically Handicapped (NIOH), Kolkata. Sitaram Jindal Foundation, New Delhi. Bankura- I Panchayat Samity. National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai. IIMPACT, Gurgaon. Our Knowledge Partner (2015-16) National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai. National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped,(NIMH), Kolkata. National Institute for the Orthopedically Handicapped (NIOH), Kolkata. National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped (NIHH), Kolkata. Bankura Sammilani Medical College & Hospital. Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, Kolkata. Indian Epilepsy Association (W.B. Chapter). National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD). Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. University of Calcutta. Annual Report 2015-16 4 BIKASH LEGAL STATUS Registered under the W.B. Societies Registration Act, 1961. Registered by the National Trust Act 1999, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. Recognized by the Commissioner (Disability), Government of West Bengal. Registered by the West Bengal Women’s and Children’s Institutions (Licensing) Rules, 1958. Registered U/S. 12 A of I.T. Act, 1961. Registered U/S. 80G of I.T. Act, 1961. Registered under F.C. (R) Act, 1976. Registered under Niti Ayog, Government of India. GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION Member, Local Level Committee, National Trust, Bankura Member, District Child Protection Society (DCPS), Bankura Member, District Level Committee, Home Inspection, Bankura Member, District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee on Central Govt. Sponsored Programmes for Rural Development Scheme, Bankura Former Member, Juvenile Justice Board, Bankura Recipient of Jugal Srimal Excellence Award for Child Welfare conferred by Nehru Children’s Museum, in the field of child welfare. Recipient of Women Disabled SHG State Award for Helen Keller Mahila Dal (2010) Recipient of State Award for Best NGO for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2013 Recipient of Special Award from NABARD (2015) Former Member, District Minority Affairs Committee, Bankura Former Member, District Technical Agency, DRDC, Bankura Former Member, Institutional Monitoring Agency, CAPART, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India. Empanelled as a Training Partner, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. Implementing agency of DDRC (District Disability Rehabilitation Centre), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India. Annual Report 2015-16 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MSJE, GOI Sitaram Jindal Foundation, N. Delhi National Trust, Govt. of India Apeejay Trust –Paul Foundation General Shankar Roychowdhury Hope Foundation, Kolkata District Magistrate, Bankura NIMH, Secunderabad Sabhadhipati,Bankura Zilla Parishad ALIMCO, ERC, Kolkata Dept.of Sports, GOI DAF, W.B. Dept.of Sports & Youth Affairs, Bankura VRCH, Kolkata Dept of WCD & SW, Govt. of W.B. JPISC, Kolkata Dept. of Health & Family Welfare, GoWB. State IAG, W.B. Directorate of Social Welfare IICP, Kolkata Dept. of Social Welfare, Bankura FADV Dept of ICDS, Bankura SHGPF, W.B. Bankura S. Medical College & Hospital CMC, Vellore Project Director, DRDC, Bankura Chittaranjan Sadhu, Save the Children NABARD, Bankura Modern School, Bankura Zilla Parishad, Bankura Central Bank,