Harishchandra has spent decades of his life caring for the poor community. His son Prashant Sude, who has now taken over the operations of NGO, is following in his father's footsteps, working to help people with disabilities.
"What we did at first was train them in recycling (回收) old clothes into mats (垫子) . The throwing away of old clothes is a significant issue, causing environmental harm. At our hand-me-down centre, we recycle these clothes into mats, providing a long-lasting solution to this problem. In doing so, they not only earn a living but also contribute to addressing the environmental challenges related to non-biodegradable waste," he says.
However, with changing times, Prashant realized that this training might not be a very smart job with good pay after a few years.
"In 2010, we started giving massage (按摩) training to blind people. Massage is an excellent job opportunity for sight challenged individuals because they have sharp sensory abilities. The training methods are simple yet effective, allowing both less- educated and well-educated individuals to learn massage scientifically. Through our course, students learn various massage techniques practically. As a result, they become experts in the field. Once they are trained, they can return to their native village or stay at the centre and earn at least Rs 500 per massage."
In 2021, the NGO came up with another branch of training. "We teach them various digital skills such as graphic design, video editing, and social media management. These skills are particularly suitable for those with locomotor disabilities. They use the labs at the NGO to practise their skill, do their work without having to move a lot and focus their energy more on creative thinking," he adds.
While Prashant and Harishchandra along with many volunteers have helped hundreds of people, Prashant now wishes to expand the model throughout Maharashtra. "The blind in our country are treated as second-class citizens. With Swadhaar, we are aiming to reduce this gap by presenting them with the right opportunities. We want to
help them become independent, and live the life they should have," says Prashant.
