RURAL EDUCATION & ACTION DEVELOPMENT
(READ)

ANBAGAM

Home for mentally retarded children

(left) From left to right: Julee, Kumaran, Vijiraja and Devakrishnan, the first students of Anbagam, a special school where these needy children receive education and skill training (right).

The most disadvantaged children need your help!
There are many mentally disabled children in all countries and communities. Here, we seek your support for such children identified from poor rural areas of Tamil Nadu State, south-India. Many of them are neglected by their communities. There are no special programs for these children in this area. While their siblings go to school, they are left at home and are often left alone without the opportunity for education. They face a lot of mistreatment and mockery. Economically, they don't have any opportunity to develop working skills, and when their parents die, their future is uncertain. Therefore, their urgently need your help.

A total of 64 mentally retarded children with varying degrees of disability have been identified so far by READ from 60 villages in its service area. These children need institutional and/or community-based rehabilitation services.

READ wants to rehabilitate many of these children so that they have a future. Depending upon the severity of the disability, this includes teaching them how to dress themselves, how to help with chores in and around the house,

A special school with home, named 'ANBAGAM' (meaning, 'Home of love') has recently been started by READ in Andimadam village, and has received official recognition by the Indian government in 2001.

ANBAGAM currently takes care for 5 children, but can accommodate 30 children if we find the financial resources. We hope to find the resources to provide all other children with community-based rehabilitation services.

We beseek the support of philanthropists, well-wishers, charity organizations, and public welfare agencies to help these children.

The break-up of a child's one-year requirement is given below:

INSTITUTIONALLY CARED CHILDREN Cost per year
Residential facility (lodging) $ 30
Food $ 105
Education, training and rehabilitation $ 55
Medical expenses $ 10
Other expenses (toiletries, clothing, bed, play materials) $ 25
TOTAL for 1 year$ 225

COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION Cost per year
Education, training and rehabilitation $ 75
Medical expenses $ 10
Starting capital and support for home-based income generating
activity such as dairy, poultry, to provide such children with earnings 		$ 150
TOTAL for 1 year$ 235

Thus, for the small amount of approximately $20 per month, you can give a future to a child!!
Any donation that can be used for these children is welcome! If you prefer, you can also provide full or partial financial support for a specific child, either cared for at our ANBAGAM institution or through our community-based rehabilitation program. You will receive information (photographs, progress reports, etc.) about the child on a regular basis.

We thank you in advance for your wonderful gesture in this regard.

Please send your contributions,which are tax-deductible in the USA to:
Sahaya International, Inc.
c/o Koen Van Rompay
2949 Portage Bay Avenue, Apartment #195
Davis, CA 95616
USA
Phone (evenings): 530-756-9074
kkvanrompay@ucdavis.edu
www.sahaya.org

Please make checks payable to Sahaya International (with mention: "ANBAGAM").

Individuals or organizations outside of USA can also send money directly to READ (with mention: "ANBAGAM")
D. Selvam (Secretary)
READ
1926 Sakthi Vinayagar Street
Vilandai, Andimadam 621-801
Tamil Nadu
INDIA
Phone: +(91)-4331-42583
E-mail: readpen@sancharnet.in

We thank you tremendously for your support!!

Kumaran (left) and Julee (right) are learning building skills.
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