VIDYA SAGAR

Address : Vidya Sagar, # 1, Ranjit Road, Kotturpuram, Chennai - 600 085.
Phone : 235 4784 / 4785 / 4980
E-mail : enable@md2.vsnl.net.in

There is a special gathering in the house. There are many people in groups of their own. Children, both boys and girls, trotting around helter skelter. The atmosphere is loud and cacophonic.
Established in 1985, Vidya Sagar formerly known as Spastics Society of India, reaches out to children and young adults with multiple disabilities and helps them lead fulfilling lives, to become contributing members of society. Every programme at the centre is a constantly evolving model. The constant learning experience becomes a significant input into fine-tuning the programme to the varying requirements of beneficiaries.
Vidya Sagar is now housed in its own building, the funds for which were raised from the public. Keeping in view the economic background of the majority of the children and the young adults who approach the centre, only a token fee is collected.
The Centre for Special Education serves as a demonstration, resource and research centre, providing valuable insights to all other projects at Vidya Sagar. The programme was started in 1986, in an attempt to provide professional services in education, therapy and creative skills, all under one roof. The centre functions like a regular school in the campus and now has 140 children on its rolls. Every child has an integrated and individualized programme of therapy, special education, communication, art and craft, creative movement and computers.
The Advisory and Referral Clinic started in 1987, provides early intervention to a child with disability. The clinic provides information, resource referrals, and service coordination, education to parents and caregivers and family-centred counselling. It also focuses on training parents on the management programme and providing medical assistance.
The Employment and Living Skills Unit, empowers the young adult to make his own decisions by making him economically independet.
The NGO's innovative programme for the family of the child with disability aims to create more resource people in the community. The programme offers individualized education and therapy to a child, technical assistance for integration, training of resource persons and parent-to-parent support. It works on building a partnership with parents.
The Post-graduate Diploma course in Special Education trains personnel to handle complex conditions of neurological impairment. It also runs awareness programmes for people in the community. The courses address the need for information and practical training on very specific areas related to the field of disability and rehabilitation.

UDAVUM KARANGAL

Address : 460, N.S.K. Nagar, Chennai 600 106.
Phone : 621 6521, 621 6421, 621 6321
Website : www.udavumkarangal.org

Udavum Karangal (which in Tamil means ‘Helping Hands’) was started in 1983 by a professional social worker Vidyakar, in the slums of N.S.K. Nagar. Its reach now extends across 5 centres in Chennai, with outstation services in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Pondicherry and Mumbai. It also runs an outpatient centre for general medicine and psychiatry in Thiruverkadu, Chennai.
Today, Udavum Karangal cares for over 1500 residents. These residents include infants, mentally sick, dying and the destitute, HIV positive, spastics and physically disabled persons.

Infant Care : Neonatal facilities for infants.
Sishu Bhavan : Children over a year old .
Gokulam : For children in the age group 4 – 14 .
Karunalayam : For terminally sick and dying destitutes.
Shantivanam : For destitute psychiatric patients
Malarvanam : A hospice for the HIV infected / AIDS patients
Mukthi : Home for the aged destitutes in Tirupur

Udavum Karangal also has a vocational training centre that imparts training skills like tailoring, carpentry, candle and shampoo making.

VISHRANTHI

Address : Vishranthi, 28, A.V.M. Rajeswari Gardens, M.G.R. Salai, Palavakkam, Chennai – 600 041. Phone: 492 5792.
Donors contact: Vishranthi Charitable Trust, Flat no.1, Sapthagiri Apartments, # 83, T.T.K. Road, Alwarpet, Chennai- 600 018,.
Phone : 499 4806, 499 6634

Vishranthi came into existence in 1978, by the efforts of a voluntary organisation of housewives called, The Monday Charity Club. Vishranthi’s main aim is to provide sustenance to aged and destitute women. Starting with one inmate in a rented house, Vishranthi now has over 100 people in its one-acre plot at Palavakkam, Chennai.
The guiding philosophy of Vishranthi is freedom of action. The campus inmates take stints at gardening, nursing, tailoring and cooking. It also has Malarchi, a house for girls whose father’s whereabouts are not known. A short-stay home for elderly women and an isolated hall for mentally disturbed women have been constructed.
Donations in cash and kind are accepted. Donations to the Vishranthi Charitable Trust are exempt from tax under 80 G of the Income Tax Act , 1961.

HELPAGE INDIA

Address : 853, Purasawalkam High Road, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600 010.
Phone : 532 2149
E-mail : helpage@nde.vsnl.net.in
WebSite : www.helpageindia.com

HelpAge India is a registered national level voluntary organisation. It was formed in 1978 with active help from Cecil Jackson Cole, a founder member of Help the Aged in United Kingdom. HelpAge India is one of the founding member groups of HelpAge International, a high profile body of 51 member countries representing the cause of the elderly at the United Nations.
HelpAge India aims at fostering welfare of the aged in India and raising funds for projects that assist the elderly. It also aims at creating awareness among the younger generation about the problems of the elderly. HelpAge India supports nearly half the old age homes in the country. Every October 1st, Elders Day is celebrated with get-togethers and fun filled programmes in Chennai. A beauty pageant is conducted for grandmas and grandpas from all old age homes in Chennai on that day.

Ophthalmic : Care Free cataract operations
Mobile Medicare : Taking medical care to the doorsteps of the elderly .
Adopt-A-Gran : Scheme Linking elders with sponsoring families/organisations .
Day Care Centres : Day care and support to the elderly .

All donations are exempted under sections 35AC and 80 GGA of Income Tax Act 1961.

EXNORA INTERNATIONAL

Address : No.20, Giriappa Road, T.Nagar, Chennai-600 017.
Phone : 91-44-2815 3376/2475 9477/4219 3596
Fax : 91-44-2475 9477
Mobile : 98400 34900
E-mail: exnorainternational@gmail.com
Website : www.exnorainternational.org

A group of people who have glorified garbage. Welcome to Exnora International. Founded by M.B. Nirmal in 1989 Exnora is now a large organisation that spans several cities and over 300,000 people. Exnora stands for EXcellent NOvel and RAdical ideas. Its main emphasis is to generate innovative ideas and implement them, towards transforming society. What began as a waste management movement has spawned several avenues including individual development.

Exnora owes its tremendous success to: Community participation
Flexibility of approach
Replicability of the Civic Exnora concept
Decentralised system of operations
A positive approach to problems
Successful tapping of talents in the community
Innovative solutions to common problems and the
Tireless efforts of committed individuals

Some of Exnora's major activities include : Solid Waste Management (SWM) and Zero Waste Management
Citizens' Waterways Monitoring Programme (WAMP)
Community Sanitation Improvement Projects
STudent Environment Programme (STEP)
Tree Planting
Vegetable Roof Gardening
Rain Harvesting etc.

Exnora functions through its well-defined objectives and various subsidiaries like Civic Exnoras, Exnora Innovators' Clubs, Exnora Women's Guild, Exnora Naturalists' Club, etc. Campaigns, formal and informal training programmes are some of the techniques through which awareness is created.

AASHA

Address : Aasha, G-1, Pankaj Nivas, 25, Third Street, State Bank Colony, Nanganallur, Chennai – 600 061.
Phone : 2232 2643
Day care Centre : Aasha, 2, Works Road, Chromepet, Chennai – 600 044.

Aasha – an alliance for the mentally ill was founded by Dr. Sarada Menon in 1989. The first of its kind in the country, to serve the cause of Schizophrenics and their families, Aasha is an associate member of the World Schizophrenia Fellowship, Canada.
Aasha runs a day care centre at Chromepet. Occupational therapy, vocational training and recreational activities are conducted for the patients. Aasha also conducts regular campaigns to eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness. It focuses on giving support, advice and counselling to the families of the patients.
Donations in cash or kind are accepted. Donations to Aasha are exempt from Income Tax under 80G Income Tax act.