YEAR 2009

New Education and Training Center at Mangalakurchi
Paadhai has been involved with Anawim Trust in setting up this education center. It has just been inagurated.
 
Wayanad Education Program 
The Wayanad education program is aimed towards re-schooling the school drop-outs among the kids hailing from the impoverished tribal communities in Wayanad District (Southern India). These kids are from the primitive tribes like kattunaikas and the community is faced with the stigma of unwed mothers. In the first phase (year 2002), Girijina Seva Trust (wgstrust.org.in), a charitable institution, started a residential school with 42 kids. With aids from different sources, the school functions in a thatched make-shift structure, a building that serves as a hostel for inmates and an office-cum-store room. As of today, there are 148 kids studying in grades I through VIII. Paadhai is funding the construction of three more class rooms to be completed for the academic year 2009-2010. Other immediate needs of the school has been identified by Paadhai which includes bunk beds for the inmates, school vehicle and laboratory (for VII, VIII and IX grades which is going to be started in 2009) and sports equipments.
 
StepOne Project
Bhoomika Trust’s(www.bhoomikaindia.org) StepOne is a one month “Office Experience Opportunity” program for individuals with disability who possess basic qualifications and are in the process of seeking suitable jobs. Such individuals are provided an opportunity to work for a period of one month in organizations which have not employed persons with disabilities. This one month enables the individuals to get work experience, and will also help them to showcase their skills and abilities in the organizations where they are placed during the training period.
The organization which offers them the one month opportunity is not obliged to give the individuals a job or salary during this period but give them work experience certificate on completion of this period. However at the end of one month, if the company feels happy about the work of the candidate, they could consider them for employment.
Paadhai, in collaboration with Bhoomika Trust has supported the above activity and more than a dozen visually impaired individuals have been employed in various organizations so far in year 2009.