Chetana Charitable Trust, an NGO started in Goa with a mission to empower, protect and educate Special Children has become a front runner, dedicated to humanitarian activities for overall development of special children. With the mission to develop appropriate opportunities, skills and capacities thus enabling them to realize their potential and latent talents, Chetana trust also indulges in creating awareness and sensitizing the masses about the importance of empowerment of such children and help in every way possible to give them an equal status in society like any other normal child.
Founded in 2009, the trust is now taking a giant leap by setting up a sophisticated school and rehabilitation centre for special children under the Chetana Education Society. The total cost of the school building project is approximately Rs 9.66 crore which includes a hostel facility as well. The new complex will consist of classrooms, amphitheatre, games room, speech therapy, administration block, physiotherapy, kitchen, parent’s room, lobby and toilets.
As a resource centre for people with special needs, Chetana Trust provides early intervention services, education, livelihoods, developments, training and awareness, thus fostering a bias free world and uniting all children.
The Trust has recently felicitated special child Beena Verenkar for her achievement in badminton at the Special Olympics, Australia and Suvet Lotlikar who became a source of inspiration for everyone, becoming a successful body builder. They also organized an All Goa Inter School Dance Competition for special children.
Chetana Trust recently participated in the Annual Carnival Parade in Curchorem and won the 1st prize in the clubs category of the Carnival. The special children of the Chetana Trust held placards urging people not to consider them as different, but to consider them special and one amongst themselves. Rajoo Naik Karma who is a trustee while speaking to Herald said, “We have succeeded in changing the outlook of the society towards special children to quite an extent. We want to make it better and we will keep working to tell people and especially parents of special children to consider their differently abled kids as the same. We also wish to change the minds of parents and convince them not to feel burdened by their kid’s disabilities.”
“The special education was merged with the education department of Goa recently. No doubt it was a good move, but the department must have people experienced in this cause in the decision making and working of the department. Only then there will be sensitivity towards the cause,” he added.
It was a group of a few likeminded theatre lovers, with a sincere vision to work for theatre and now working for the past 15 years with a remarkable contribution in the field of theatre art, Cultural, Social work, education, medical and sports activities from the Sankalp Theatre Cultural Institution, Curchorem Goa who felt for the special children and their parents and constituted Chetana Trust. A 12 day long All Goa Konkani Drama Festival is annually conducted by Sankalp.
“As per the census records 2011, it was revealed that only Sanguem and Quepem Taluka have as many as 1140 differently abled people and are identified to be availing Government aid. We are very sure that certainly there will be many more people who have not been identified for various reasons such as shyness or those who do not need Government aid etc,” said Karma.
The trust has participated in prestigious competitions in Goa and at the all-India level drama competitions and has secured top prizes every time. In addition to the blood donation camps and other fund raisers, the Chetana Trust also organises an Annual All Goa Dance Competition for special children where different school children get the platform to showcase their talents.
The trust also hosted ‘Atmavishwas’, a special TV show directed and broadcasted on a local channel in which children got the opportunity to display their acting skills. The outstanding children are felicitated every year for their achievement in their respective fields.
“There is a competition which is presently going on between the schools and shelters of the specially abled which is completely wrong and detrimental to the cause. The kids need kindness and love and not competition,” said Karma. “The Government rules and schemes of support to such kids also need to undergo change as the present support to the special ones and mainly the people with the institutions is too little or too less,” he added.
The Trust is determined to go ahead with the first phase of the proposed building which is hoped to be completed as quickly as possible.
