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Let there be light this International Book Giving Day

Let there be light this International Book Giving Day

“You cannot open a book without learning something.” – Confucius

Eating, shopping, exercising and what not, times have changed the ways we do most of our daily activities. The role of books in our lives remains undiminished, nevertheless. A trustworthy guide and a fun companion, books can play a myriad of parts in an individual’s life. Besides building minds, they are the shapers of the society.

In order to make sure that no child is deprived of the nourishment of reading, 14th February is celebrated worldwide as the International Book Giving Day. The aim was to have the written word reach out to even those who are not fortunate enough to access them. A symbolic day, it’s a great occasion to promote the necessity of books in one’s life.

Although it’s celebrated just one day, the season of books lasts all year long. With the right amount of push and encouragement, the healthy habit of reading can be garnered in a child. Most of us consider textbooks as the only books apt for children. The fact, however, is that the more one reads, the more one learns and grows.

When it comes to inculcating the enthusiasm for books in children, some of us get bogged down by their fleeting attention spans. The code is to not force a book on a child. From what theory and practice have taught us, children learn faster when they are constantly exposed to something. The idea is to raise children in a space surrounded by books. Plus, the more they see their parents or grown ups read, the more their intrigue will be piqued. The key, therefore, is to lead by example and steady exposure to books.

Another important aspect of the day lies in advocating the access to books. In our country, a child who has never got to lay his/her hands on a book isn’t a rarity. The spirit of International Book Giving Day is incomplete without attempting to make books universal. Therefore, let’s participate in this grand cause with full enthusiasm and make someone’s life rich with books and learning.

Positive Parenting: A Powerful Tool For Growing Healthy Kids

Positive Parenting: A Powerful Tool For Growing Healthy Kids

What is positive parenting? And why is it important? That fact that its message is reaching far and wide, makes it absolute imperative for parents to understand how to improve the quality of parenting. And hence, this blog!

More and more parents have, over the years, begun realising that a change must be made in their child-rearing practices. That no bookish knowledge can ever instil the right parenting skills in them. In the light of it, here’s a lowdown on the good, the bad and the ugly of positive parenting. First and foremost, what we, as parents, must understand is that every child is unique. How they behave, cannot be boxed under the categories of ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’.

Children soak up behavioural patterns like a sponge, and therefore, what we do as individuals is of utmost importance when it comes to parenting. What our children observe is what they end up doing in their day to day lives. Whether you lie to someone, make fun of a friend or use harsh words – your child will inculcate it all.

That being said, there are no rules or formulas, but certain aspects you can use to guide yourself throughout this never-ending journey.

Narrow down the one area you wish to work on the most: One of the key problems most parents face is not knowing where to start. But this is actually quite simple. All you have to think about is that one thing that puts your child at a greater risk. Is your child hurting someone physically or mentally? Do they break things at home due to bad temper? Start here, and start small. Smaller steps create bigger ripples.

Pinpoint what you wish to change: If your child has a bad mouth and tends to use a lot of swear words, try and understand the root of the problem, and give them an alternative. For example, you could tell your child that the next time they get angry and wish to curse, they need to go inside their room for a few minutes till they feel better. Reprimanding them for the same will only worsen the situation. Whereas, your job is to smoothen the road for them.

Give them the reason to change: Telling your child to change something about themselves without explaining will only leave him/her confused. Even if they do alter something for your sake, the results will most likely be short-lived. If you wish for your child to change something for good, then always give them the reason in a nice, logical way. Shouting and yelling won’t work here.

Chalk out goals for you and your kid: Working together as a team always gets better results. Parenting is never one-sided; it is about you and your child. Tell your child that you hate punishing them for something as trivial, and that you wish to come up with a way where you both can be happy. This will make your child look at things in a more practical way, and kids love to be problem-solvers. With this adult-like approach, you fix the problem, while putting them in charge.

Encourage their special talents & skills: Your child’s hard-earned 50% is as good as a hard-earned 100%. With the amount of competition in our society, putting additional pressure on kids only makes them crumble. Whether it’s painting, dancing, cooking or fixing gadgets – your kid has a special talent, and it is your job to encourage that.

In a nutshell, positive parenting only requires a change in mindset. As a parent, you must be committed to approaching your kids with affection, empathy and patience.

Tackling Depression: Tips for Parents of Children with Special Needs

Tackling Depression: Tips for Parents of Children with Special Needs

Depression: It might not have a significant presence in our lives, but it is possible that someone around us, near us, has been suffering from depression for long enough without us even noticing.
Surprising, yes, but it could happen!
The questions we all have in mind: What is depression? How does it manifest itself? What has made it one of the most severe mental problems in the world?

Imagine having a heachache, a strong one… one that people dismiss as just a heachache, and not something to make a fuss about.
Imagine feeling empty all the time; no one to share your feelings with, nobody to talk to.
Imagine being amidst a sea of people, yet feeling all alone.
Imagine for once that nobody cares whether you exist or not.
That feeling is depression… and it isn’t pretty, especially since most of us don’t even talk about it, or so much as acknowledge its presence.

Depression could be of different types and it could affect people for different reasons, but it is often the parents of children with special needs who are its most common victims. They don’t suffer because they have a special child. They suffer because our society does not treat them as normal. And the only thing that can reduce their suffering is acceptance. It won’t cost us anything to extend a hand of help.

At Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan (MBCN), we treat every child like our own – with compassion, respect and care. As a result, parents feel assured that their child is loved and well looked after at this home away from home. Not just children, we care equally for parents as well.

In her article on coping with depression, Director, MBCN, Dr. Vandana Sharma lends some useful advice to parents of children with special needs.

Read on for insightful excerpts:

“They need to see this vulnerability and work to adopt effective coping skills to deal efficiently with the situation. It will ultimately benefit their special children also. They can deal with children more effectively and patiently if they themselves are at mental peace.”

Setting Limits on Expectations
There are limits to what one person can do. You shouldn’t expect yourself to think about your child all the time. And your child with a disability shouldn’t expect to be the center of attention all the time or the center of your life all the time. It is often easy to have the child with disabilities set the schedule and tone for all family life. You have limits and your child has limits; learn to recognize both and give yourself a chance to examine the situation before responding in anger or fatigue or with frustration. You are not SUPERPARENT.

Having Fun With Your Child
When every activity becomes ‘a therapy session,’ a lot of pleasure can be lost that would otherwise be shared by you and our child. You are the one who lives with your child, and you are the one who is being asked to do just one more thing. If you cannot do something tonight, or every day, okay. That is your decision. Having fun with your child with cerebral palsy can be a radical idea when you are surrounded by people telling you what to do or what should be happening next.

You are not your child’s therapist or teacher. You are Mommy or Daddy. Therapy and educational activities at home are certainly beneficial but you and your child need time to just fool around, tickle, giggle, tell stories and just hang out. These times are one of the most important parts of your child’s “education” and the love and social skills learned by them will stand in good stead for the future as they will contribute greatly to the self-esteem of your child – and your own self-esteem as a parent.

Taking Time Off or Having a Life
As a parent you need time to yourself, with your spouse or partner and with other family members, and just time without kids around. Many parents describe the first time they went to the grocery store alone after their child was born as a tremendous feeling of freedom — even though they were doing a chore, and even though they didn’t talk to anyone but the checkout clerk. There are many parts of your life and each deserves as much attention and nurturing as does your special needs child. At one point I realized that I had no social life and, even though it meant spending money for a respite worker, the time taken to build friendships has probably helped me be a better parent to my child. And even if it has taken time and energy away from my child, I now have ‘a life’ and can talk about more than my son and his disability.

Being the Expert-In-Charge
You know your child better than anyone else as you have spent the most time and lived the longest with this child with a disability, longer than anyone else. You know what works and what doesn’t; you have the big picture and history of your child and can utilize this in any situation. Support personnel come and go but you are the expert with the experience and first-hand knowledge of your child.

As the expert you have the right to be in charge of your child’s educational, social and medical and other decisions, at least until your child can do this for him or herself. Professionals do not live the consequences of their decisions, so while you want their opinions, remember that they are only ‘informed’ opinions and not facts. They shouldn’t tell you are wrong, that you will regret it, that you are selfish, or that you are not looking far enough ahead. Nor should they make you feel guilty or pressure you into a decision.

As suggested by Dr. Vandana Sharma herself, do not forget that someone around you might be a sufferer too. Look out, it isn’t that tough. It could be a friend, a cousin, or even your neighbour from next door.

Let’s start by asking the simplest yet most important question: How are you?
#LetsTalk!

Know the Signs of Autism

Know the Signs of Autism

In order to cure any problem, it is important to first actually know that there is a problem.
Unlike most other mental problems, Autism is not a disease that could be easily treated with medicine. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments, cognitive impairments, communication difficulties and repetitive behaviour.

As a parent, nobody wishes for their little one to have any problem but sometimes, in the rush of our lives we often miss out many important things that could actually mean a lot. Such happens in the case of Autism and catching it ideally by the age of eighteen months can make a huge difference and starting early treatment can reduce the disorder’s effects and help your child learn, grow, and thrive.

Autism appears in infancy or early childhood, but can only be diagnosed by a professional until the child is over twenty four months or two years. However, there are signs that could indicate that the child is on the spectrum as early as six months of age.
Every child is unique, so is their rate of development. Hence, the signs and the severity of the symptoms can vary from child to child.

One important thing that parents should look out for is that autism isn’t recognized by the presence of strange behaviour, but from lack of normal behavior. Also some children with autism may appear normal before age 1 or 2 and suddenly “regress” afterwards losing any language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.

Following are some early signs of Autism you must look out for and if your child exhibits any of the following then do not delay in asking your pediatrician or family doctor for an evaluation—

● No smile or warm joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
● No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
● No babbling by 12 months
● No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
● No words by 16 months
● Doesn’t make noises to get your attention
● Never initiates or respond to cuddling or reach out to be picked up
● No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
● Loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age
● No response to their name (the child may appear deaf)
● No demonstration of interest at anything
● Loss of/avoiding eye contact
● Always wants to be alone
● Difficulty in understanding
● Never expresses own feelings or understands other people’s feelings
● Repeats words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
● Gets upset by minor changes
● Has obsessive interests
● Flaps hands, rocks body, or spins in circles
● Has unusual reactions (over or under-sensitivity) to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
● Has low to no social skills
● Avoids or resists physical contact
● Demonstrates little safety or danger awareness
● Reverses pronouns (e.g., says “you” instead of “I”)
● Gives unrelated answers to questions

Children with autism may also show some other type of signs which may appear normal but come under ASD symptoms.

● Having unusual interests and behaviors
● Extreme anxiety or having unusual phobias
● Playing with toys the same way every time
● Getting upset over minor changes
● Having obsessive tendencies
● Wanting to keep their things at the same place
● Hyperactivity (very active)
● Impulsivity (acting without thinking)
● Short attention span
● Aggression
● Causing self injury
● Meltdowns
● Unusual eating and sleeping habits
● Unusual mood or emotional reactions
● Lack of fear or more fear than expected
● Having unusual sleeping habits

Rights of Persons With Disabilities Bill: More power to PwD

Rights of Persons With Disabilities Bill: More power to PwD

Human Rights are for us all, but seldom do we see our society uphold these rights without any social or political bias. In that regard, the ‘Rights for Persons with Disabilities Bill’ has indeed come a long way, now amended and shaped to herald a more accommodating future.

Rights of Persons With Disabilities (RPWD) Bill:
The principal act for the empowerment of Persons with disabilities was the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. It was enforced 20 years back. In the years that followed, however, there have been drastic changes in the disability sector such as understanding disability and its social model of definition, new technology and process of rehabilitation etc.

The new Bill with amendments proposes to repeal the existing Persons with Disabilities (Equal opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

The revised bill has come as a boon for many. With the types of disabilities having been increased from 7 to 21, and the Central Government holding the power to add more types in the future, the bill is a much-awaited move to effectuate the Indian government’s ‘Accessible India’ program.

The historic announcement was made on the occasion of ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ (3rd December). It saw the first-time inclusion of speech and language disability and specific learning disability, while acid attack victims, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy etc. were added as separate classes of specified disability. The new categories of disabilities also included three blood disorders: thalassemia, hemophilia and sickle cell disease.

This bill also provides for penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities. Designated special courts have been proposed to handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs, thus accommodating the long-pending concern of whether or not we legally cover all types of disabilities.

Further, additional benefits for persons with benchmark disabilities and those with high support needs have been included. For instance, every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education, while reservations in government jobs for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability have been increased from 3% to 4%. To provide financial support to the persons with disabilities, the creation of National and State Funds has been proposed. The need to ensure accessibility in public buildings in a prescribed time-frame has also been stressed upon.

Another highlight from the bill is that it provides penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities. To handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs, the bill proposes the immediate designation of special courts.

This bill has given rise to expectations that it will be adopted at all institutions and public or private bodies in India at both national and state levels to achieve true empowerment and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in a satisfactory manner.

MBCN Sports Festival 2016

MBCN Sports Festival 2016

‘Let me win but if I can’t win, let me be brave in my attempts’
— Special Olympics Athlete’s oath

This motto of Special Olympics is all about finding the courage to give it all one has got, give their hundred per cent, come whatever may. This special quote from the oath sworn by the athletes at the Special Olympics isn’t just a rhetorical statement but a fact that students at Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan believe in and recently reflected at their Sports Festival.

Around 600 athletes participated in various sports activities of MBCN Sports Festival in the grounds of Genesis Global school. The sunny November morning, saw a variety of sports which gave the specially abled students of MBCN an opportunity to display their impressive capabilities, more than what is seen. It’s always more about the sheer efforts and hope to rise above all odds. Sports provide with the opportunity of competition, to grow in confidence, & improve health, skills, & abilities.

The MBCN Sports Festival was graced by and was a successful one under the guidance of Dr. Vandana Sharma, Director and Principal, MBCN; who has always believed in identifying and nurturing her students’ skills beyond disability.

The festival saw events like 25 mtrs Assisted Walking competition, Softball throw across various age groups and wings at MBCN and the ancient game of BOCCE, which was a delight and was participated by the Swayam wing

Each and every event was modified to suit the physical abilities so that every individual could showcase their potential is the best way possible. Proud parents and happy teachers were excited and cheered all the students throughout! Also, refreshment, support and first aid teams were actively engaged to ensure successful completion of this annual affair.

MBCN Sports Festival was indeed an occasion which proved yet again that it is special to have tears of sheer joy when one scores, receives a medal, hugs a friend to celebrate their success or gives me thumbs up to a friend… It was a day that provided opportunities, removed isolation and boosted self confidence of many! We hope to continue, support and cherish with such endeavors in future.

MBCN celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities

MBCN celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Every year on the 3rd of December, the world celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Promoted by United Nations, the day is observed to permeate an understanding of disability issues, mobilise support and sensitise our community towards the disabled. Everyone deserves the chance to live a life of dignity in a peaceful and prosperous world. The observance of this day is an attempt by the UN and its member countries to make sure that people with disabilities get the rights they deserve and are well integrated into every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan (MBCN) A vocational training school for run under The Ponty Chadha Foundation, is also observing International Day of Persons with Disabilities in its own unique way. Come tomorrow, the students of MBCN will visit various locations in Delhi-NCR and meet people from all walks of life to make them aware of the plight and rights of the disabled. It is an initiative with the sole agenda of helping the masses realise that people with disabilities if given equal opportunities, can lead dignified lives as progressive citizens of the nation.

Along with staff members, these MBCN students will visit different places in the city, request people to click selfies, and give away balloons with smileys on them. Students would then share these pictures on their social networking sites with the hashtag ‘beyond disability’. Besides spreading this noble thought, MBCN students would also present a sapling to the heads of various institutes and offices, to be planted on this solemn occasion in support of their ‘right to breathe’.

Education: A Necessity for the Evolution of Humankind

Education: A Necessity for the Evolution of Humankind

Right since the beginning of time, the one quality that has separated humans from the rest of the animal kingdom is their immense plasticity and their ability to learn new things through observation. This art of observation was the beginning of our education and it helped us ascend to the top of the food chain over the next few centuries. The passage of time saw more refinement in human education, leading to further prosperity and increased life expectancy. One can call it survival of the fittest or simply God’s grace, but the crux of the matter is that it is the education of the human mind that has caused our gradual but unmistakable rise, and it continuous to play the same role even today.

In the present times, a human being devoid of education would be left far behind in almost all walks of life. Keeping that in mind, children today are in dire need of skill-imparting education that enables them to lead a respectful life as adults. A spokesperson of the same school of thought, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, believed that education was going to play one of the most important roles in the evolution and prosperous growth of our country.

One school that has successfully realised the dream of Maulana Azad is Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan, a school meant for differently-abled children with special needs. Run by the Ponty Chadha Foundation, the school has a vision of providing holistic education to children with special abilities, including rehabilitation services for children with intellectual impairment, autism, cerebral palsy, spectrum disorders, hearing impairment and multiple disabilities. The school has a specially trained faculty that is committed to create an environment which optimises the quality of learning.

Some of the activities that MBCN is involved in are early intervention programmes, speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, extra-curricular activities, play and recreation, vocational training and dance therapy. The great Maulana Azad believed that basic education was the fundamental right of each and every child. The same applies to children with special needs as well. At MBCN, no stone is left unturned to help these children walk shoulder to shoulder with other children as capable citizens of this nation.

Nobody knows what the future has in store for us. As prophesied by Abul Kalam Azad himself, only proper education can help secure a better life for us Indians and humans at large. The evolution of humankind is a work in progress, and the more educated we are the better prepared we would be to face every challenge that beckons us.

Say Yes To Vaccines!

Say Yes To Vaccines!

Despite the proven advantages of immunisation, many people still shy away from vaccines and needles, overlooking the simple fact that they are far more likely to be seriously injured by a vaccine-preventable disease than by a vaccine itself. Moreover, the present scenario in India suggests that there is also a significant lack of awareness in the country regarding full immunisation and its numerous benefits. So to begin with, we would like to define ‘immunisation’ for you in simple words because it can save a lot of lives and prevent serious diseases.

What is immunisation?
Immunisation is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease.

Now that you are aware of what immunisation actually is, you need to understand why you should say yes to vaccines and what good does immunisation do.

Why immunisation?
Immunisation is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments with proven strategies that make it accessible to even the most hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. It has clearly defined target groups; it can be delivered effectively through outreach activities; and vaccination does not require any major lifestyle change.

How does immunisation help?

  • Immunisation protects against 25 different infectious agents or diseases including diphtheria, measles, pertussis, polio and tetanus.
  • Immunisation prevents illness, disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases.
  • Vaccines interact with the immune system to produce a response similar to that produced by the natural infection, but they do not cause the disease or put the immunised person at risk of its potential complications.
  • Modern vaccines are 90% effective in protecting against disease.

However, absolute immunisation is a distant reality even today. Let’s talk about some obstacles faced by health organisations in their efforts to make immunisation a regular and widespread practice.

What are the challenges faced?

  • Lack of basic awareness regarding immunisation and on-going programs related to it.
  • Lack of wider implementation of currently available vaccines against major diseases.
  • Lack of area-wise data in medical records.
  • Lack of community involvement and engagement in activities related to immunisation in both urban and rural areas.
  • Lack of access to immunisation services in marginalised locations.

With a plethora of threatening diseases taking a toll of countless lives around the world every day, there is indeed a case for making immunisation mandatory in the present scenario. The phrase ‘prevention is better than cure’ might be a popular one, but do we really practice this advisable approach when it comes to our life? It is high time we did.

Checkout: Eco-Friendly Handmade Products by Special Children from Swayam

Let the Child in Us Stay Alive as We Grow in Life

Let the Child in Us Stay Alive as We Grow in Life

“The child is the father of the man”, said a famous English poet of the romantic age. The line stands true even today and will continue to stand true till the end of time. No matter how old we get, there will always be a child in each one of us, helping us blissfully sail through this thing called life. The more we try to subdue the child in us, the quicker we begin to age. It is this child in us that helps us stay young and sprightly.

As we grow older, we realise that it is the child in us that carries us through all our difficulties and anxieties. It is the carefree tenor of this child that becomes fortified in our personalities and helps us wade through life with ease. The more in tune we are with this child the better prepared we are to face the challenges of life, no matter how hard and overbearing they are.

We all remember our childhood with great fondness. It is the love and affection that we receive in our childhood that helps us become better human beings after all. A great person is the one who can act like an adult and yet can keep the child in him alive. To put that simply, great things are achieved by people who can act childlike despite the vigour of youth, those rare ones who manage to retain the virtues of childhood all their life.

Irrespective of our profession, the only thing that can help us reach the pinnacle is the passion and zestfulness of the child within us. Keeping that in mind, on this Children’s Day, the Ponty Chadha foundation got actively involved in celebrating the day by means of various activities, contests and campaigns. Ponty Chadha Foundation also occasion out to their audience through a social media campaign titled ‘For the Child in You’, helping adults reminisce their childhood days through games and gadgets only they can relate to.
Let the Child in Us Stay Alive as We Grow in Life
Other than that, the students of MBCN also celebrated Gurupurab by visiting Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, paying their homage to Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and performing Seva on the auspicious occasion and will be taken out for various excursions within this month.

Diwali with Swayam: #RoshanKarein

Diwali with Swayam: #RoshanKarein

Celebrations have begun at Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan (MBCN) for the most awaited festival of the year. Excited to celebrate it in style, students are planning something big for one and all to experience. At Swayam, the vocational workshop of MBCN, preparations are in full swing with our specially-abled children coming together to create beautiful handmade products to be offered as presents.

In a bid to remind us that we must not forget our loved ones on special occasions, they’re packing Diwali goodies for us to give away. With every box, they wrap a wish for our lives to shine like every other day is the festival of lights. So, with Swayam by your side, Diwali #RoshanKarein with innovative gifts for your friends and family.
These can be beautifully handcrafted gifts like bags and boxes from the vocational workshop of this charitable school for mentally and physically challenged. What goes behind the making of these attractive paper bags and colourful gift boxes is the persistent hard work of children at Swayam. They toil tirelessly to make these products with hand-made, eco-friendly paper.

A Sweet Gesture for WAVE Group and CTBC Bank
This year, both CTBC Bank and WAVE Group reached out to the school for extending Diwali wishes to their employees. Children at Swayam have been busy giving a festive touch to these gifts by wrapping them in red, gold and royal blue. Thanks to their commitment, the order was wrapped up in no time as they made 350 sweet boxes for the bank and packed off 2500 units for the corporate house.
The experience has been truly worthwhile. CTBC bank is our new collaborator working to find special talent at the vocational workshops of MBCN. It has supported us in further encouraging the differently-abled children to become independent and earn a living.

Spreading Joy to One and All
Apart from offering items for personal purchase, our Diwali benefits extend to buyers like Madhya Pradesh Hastshilp Evam Hathkargha Vikas Nigam and Taj, New Delhi. Likewise, our children have worked hard to meet product orders received from the Parliament of India, Loom Tree, NIIT Technologies and Marks and Spencer, London.

A Box Full of Surprises
It does not end here. If you go to the MBCN website, you can expect to find many boxes full of surprises. Available online, these products are a result of the continuous efforts of the differently-abled who are ever so engrossed in creating different designs.

Go Eco-friendly
From photo frames, envelopes and jewellery boxes to make-up kits and pen holders with frames, one can pick up any product here and find each to have been made with recycled paper. This Diwali, visit Swayam at the MBCN campus to appreciate the efforts of these differently-abled children and choose special gifts for your friends and family from a variety of handmade paper items.

Medical Insurance Facility Now for MBCN’s Special Kids

Medical Insurance Facility Now for MBCN’s Special Kids

Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan (MBCN), a charitable school for the differently-abled recently joined hands with The New India Assurance Company Limited in the wake of extending health insurance benefits to the special kids. This is what MBCN believes in and propagate.

Health or medical insurance for persons with disability means that kind of insurance coverage which covers all medical as well as surgical costs borne by them. At MBCN, a health insurance camp was recently held where we gathered our special children who wished to opt for the ‘Swavlamban Health Insurance Scheme’. It was an opportunity of adding a value tag to their life. They made a beeline to take advantage of the benefits offered to them.

Joint Effort with New India Assurance Company
The scheme came in as a boon as it has been especially designed for the people with disabilities to derive maximum out of the affordable health insurance. The collaborating company also associates with the Ministry of Social Justice, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities to bring out an affordable insurance programme for the underprivileged people.

This Swavlamban Health Insurance Scheme empowers the differently-abled to get insured to access the medical care and treatment as and when required. This scheme is meant for providing a comprehensive cover to every beneficiary and his or her family. For example, when a beneficiary gets covered, it automatically offers a cover to his or her spouse as well as a family of up to two children.

Group Health Insurance for Cashless Treatment
Single premium is offered throughout a particular age group falling between 18 to 65 years with an annual family income of less than 3,00,000 INR per annum. The scheme provides a cover for any pre-existing condition with a health insurance coverage going up to 2,00,000 INR per annum in the form of a family floater.

For such situations, the scheme especially has a tailor-made plan of Group Health Insurance ready. Swavlamban was conceived with an objective of enabling affordable insurance for the people suffering from different disabilities. It includes persons with blindness, hearing impairment, low vision, mental retardation, loco-motor disability and those cured of leprosy.

After this, the insured persons become eligible to opt to undergo a cashless treatment. The move ensures financial security for the people with disability and aims at improving the general living conditions as well as the quality of life for the differently-abled.

‘Swavlaban’ is to be self-dependent and with this new chapter being added to the history of MBCN, we are convinced to be moving forward in the right direction every day.