Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the problem we want to address?
We want to help people with disabilities to reach main stream education and have employment opportunities. Approximately 1% of the Karnataka population consist of children with special needs. This aggregates to a whopping 5 lakh children and out of this, the survey indicates that only 1% of the children with special needs go to school and complete secondary education. Rest 99% of the children with special needs never attend school and remain illiterate thus leading to increased dependency on others for livelihood. Our aim is to ensure the remaining 99% children also get the basic training and become ready to go to a mainstream school. - Do we have existing government schemes to support such causes? How is SRP different?
Yes, there are a number of government schemes supporting such causes. However, the schemes are not addressing the problem in a holistic manner and most of the schemes work in silos. Hence to solve it in a holistic manner, we have designed the “School Readiness Program- SRP” where our volunteers work with the government to address the issue of basic education for children with special needs. - How will our solution make a difference?
To address this problem, Fourth Wave Foundation has been working with the Karnataka government on a program named as “School Readiness Program - SRP”. This program runs from centers located in government selected locations providing –
- Physiotherapy and medical assistance to children with disabilities.
- Coaching on skills needed to be self-sufficient and self-reliant for their day-to-day activities.
- Training to be ready to join the regular school stream.
- This program has been successful in increasing the enrolment of children with special needs in schools from 1% to 21% (In approximately 3 years*).
To further enable the vision of educating every child in India, we have come together to raise funds to fulfil below 2 objectives.
- Support existing SRP in Dharward, Karnataka
- Start a pilot of two Mini-School Readiness Program Centers (Mini SRP)- We intend to set up 2 Mini SRP centers in rural Karnataka which will cater to the Children with special needs.
- Tell me more about Mini SRP?
The Mini SRP centers are leaner versions of main SRP Centers. Each Mini SRP will have one skilled teacher and physiotherapist to train children with special needs, along with a helper to assist these two main staff. Along with that, the center will also have basic health infrastructure needed for providing mobility and self-sustenance skills to children with special needs.
The same center will also double up as -
- Adult Literacy Program (ALP) center during the evenings post school hours
- Telemedicine center during weekends to provide specialised healthcare support
- Is there any impact of covid on SRPs and how are you managing it?
Currently, the SRP centers are closed. The teachers and physiotherapist are visiting the children's home for providing the training and physiotherapy sessions. We are planning to utilize this time for creating Mini -SRP centers; so that the centre is operational for children as soon as pandemic comes under control. - How do I see the results of the changes we are making?
You can visit any SRP / Mini SRP center (once set up) by seeking prior appointments. We recommended visiting any center that has been functional for at least six months for seeing the clearly identifiable results. - How do I be part of this change making initiative?
As we start the mini SRPs, you can support the initiative in following ways:
- Volunteering – Volunteer to teach, coach or to coordinate our activities. You can also volunteer to raise funds for the program.
- Donating – You can visit the link to donate any amount for this initiative. The funds donated are exempt under Section 80G (for Indian Donors).
Click here- https://pages.razorpay.com/De4THl
- How can a non-resident Indian contribute for this project?
For Non - Indian Passport Holders to share contributions, do reach out to us at ruralreformers@gmail.com. We will guide you on further steps. - Can I get my family and friends involved?
Yes, we are always in need of more volunteers, sponsors and donors for our programs. Anyone who connects with the cause and is ready to contribute in any form is always welcome. - Sounds interesting! I would like to be part of the project; how should I connect with the team?
Please write to us at ruralreformers@gmail.com