With over two decades of active intervention in the lives of thousands of specially abled people across the country, the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled has ventured into various other socially relevant initiatives.
Founded in 1997 by two schoolmates – Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar and late Nagesh S.P, who are visually impaired, the initial aim of Samarthanam was to train a team for a special version of cricket for the blind. The out-of-the-box idea to take up a sport to encourage people with disabilities came to the duo when they were part of a team that travelled to England. “We were taken abroad for a study tour in 1986 by the Shree Ramana Maharshi Academy for the Blind. Since then, we brainstormed multiple ideas and concepts that would provide opportunities to the needy, especially to those like us, to come up in life,” said Mr Kivadasannavar, Founder and Managing Trustee of the NGO.
Their interest in cricket prepared the ground for them to start an initiative in higher education too, as the two founders realised that helping the visually impaired play cricket was not enough and that better education was essential for the disabled to lead a dignified life off the ground. “During those times, education for the disabled was limited only till high school. As higher education opened up multiple employment opportunities, our team set out to equip the differently abled with college education and vocational skills,” said Mr Kivadasannavar.
The NGO has now expanded its reach to 16 cities in 11 states, covering livelihood, environment, culture, health and nutrition and rehabilitation aspects of the differently abled. The team says it has directly impacted the lives of over 60,000 till now and is aiming to reach one lakh by 2020 and one million by the end of the next decade. At the same time, the number of volunteers too has grown over 10,000, from the 35 members they started with.
The trust is an internationally recognised NGO now, as it is affiliated with the World Blind Union and has been instrumental in making the Indian Blind Cricket team world champion. The trust holds the top position in the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), which is under the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC), promoting the sport as a platform for the physical and social development of the visually impaired.
At a computer literacy programme
“We have come a long way from where we started, but we are still waiting for the right transformation. We have appealed to the BCCI to explore the possibility of working with us as it will open up bigger opportunities for our players and give us access to world class training infrastructure,” he said.
The NGO has also requested the Karnataka government to allot them land to build a stadium which will help them hold comprehensive, regular training sessions for players. “Bengalureans and state government officials have helped us reach great heights,” he said with all humility.
Recognising their achievements, the United Nations, the central government and several organisations have honoured them with various awards. The NGO was presented the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2017.
Team members said that tapping into corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds of various companies has helped them bridge financial gaps at multiple levels.
Mr Kivadasannavar said, “Living in a holistic ecosystem helps everyone. No one should lose hope and give up on their aspirations because of their disabilities. They should believe in their abilities and be confident that they can contribute to society. No one is inferior. All should aspire to earn and become responsible taxpayers, contributing to nation building. I hope that our trust works till eternity.”
For more details on NGO’s diverse activities and to be a part of the Samarthanam fraternity, visit https://samarthanam.org or call 9449864775.
