Project IDI with Perkins
Project IDI [Identification and Intervention] serves as a beacon of hope for children with MDVI in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. The Project IDI team has been screening children to identify those with multiple disabilities and visual impairment (MDVI) and referring them to services in dozens of villages of Uttar Pradesh.
The Project IDI team is not only finding children who have been left behind – but also providing support, raising awareness, guiding families to access government services, and enrolling the children in local Anganwadis and schools.
The Methodology:
Once a district is identified to be worked upon by Perkins India Team, it is divided in blocks and villages for easy mapping.
In Agra we have currently worked in 2 blocks covering over 250 villages and have identified over 2000 children with disability ( All disabilities) only in the past quarter July to September 2022.
This work was done by the Project IDI team going door to door in finding such children. They take the help of community leaders like the Village Sarpanch ( Village Head) local ASHA workers to reach such children.
Of these about 250 children have been found to be MDVI or at risk while about 100 people have been identified as VI.
Support and Rehabilitation
The 250 people identified are now being counselled, trained and rehabilitation services being provided.
The parents in Agra are encouraged to come to the Civil Hospital in Agra on a particular day of the week for check ups of their child. Project IDI team has tied up with the Civil Hospital to provide intervention to MDVI children at the hospital.
The parents of such parents are also provided with guidance as to how they can get their Disability Certificates (UDID cards), Aadhar cards, etc.
The parents are also encouraged to participate in Camps organised by govt. to get tricycles, walkers, canes, MR kits etc. for the children. The team guides and supports the parents/children in all such activities. As of now we have made a small beginning in being able to provide support to 10 children at these govt. camps
Impact of the Partnership with Perkins
Vision-Aid and Perkins, India joined hands back in 2021 and jump started the first joint Project in the Agra region to proactively intercept and help the visually impaired and MDVI individuals. India is home to more than 1 million children with disabilities. Only an estimated 10% of them go to schools. The vast majority become invisible to society, vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and poverty
After the successful conclusion of this first Project, Vision-Aid is planning to start similar joint initiatives across India and hope to help to many more children in the coming years.
Vision-Aid is indebted to all team members on the ground for their amazing, dedicated efforts and all donors who are supporting this exciting new program.
