Special Education & Rehabilitation

Under the Happy Homes initiative, HUL supports special education and rehabilitation of children with challenges.

Asha Daan:
The initiative began in 1976, when HUL supported Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity to set up Asha Daan, a home in Mumbai for abandoned, challenged children, and the destitute. Subsequently, Asha Daan has also become a home to the HIV-positive. The objective in supporting Asha Daan was and continues to be to share the organsation's prosperity in supporting the Mother's mission of serving the "poorest of the poor". Asha Daan has been set up on a 72,500-square feet plot belonging to HUL, in the heart of Mumbai city. HUL bears the capital and revenue expenses for maintenance, upkeep and security of the premises. The destitute and the HIV-positive are provided with food, shelter and medication for the last few days of their lives. The needs of the abandoned challenged children are also met through special classes of basic skills, physiotherapy and, if possible, corrective surgery. At any point of time, it takes care of over 300 infants, destitute men and women and HIV-positive patients.

Over the years, HUL has opened schools for challenged children with a sharper objective of supporting families of such children, helping the children become self-reliant by learning appropriate skills to be productive members of the household.

Ankur:
In 1993, HUL's Doom Dooma Plantation Division set up Ankur, a centre for special education of challenged children. The centre takes care of children with challenges, aged between 5 and 15 years. Ankur provides educational, vocational and recreational activities to over 35 children with a range of challenges, including sight or hearing impairment, polio related disabilities, cerebral palsy and severe learning difficulties. These physically and mentally challenged children are taught skills, such as cookery, painting, embroidery, bamboo crafts, weaving, stitching, etc depending on their aptitudes. The centre has rehabilitated 10 children, including self-employment for 6 children by providing them with shops, and 3 girls have been provided employment as creche attendants. It has also moved to normal schools 18 children. Since inception it has covered about 80 children. Ankur received the Lawrie Group Worldaware Award for Social Progress in 1999 from HRH Princess Royal in London.

Kappagam:
Encouraged by Ankur's success, Kappagam ("shelter"), the second centre for special education of challenged children, was set up in 1998 on HUL Plantations in South India. It has 17 children. The focus of Kappagam is the same as that of Ankur. The centre has 17 children, being taught self-help skills, useful vocational activities like making of paper covers, greeting cards, wrapping papers, fancy stationery, napkins, brooms made out of coconut leaves, candles, and also some home care products. About 12 of the children have become relatively self-reliant by earning through crafts learnt at the centre. Since inception, it has covered about 28 children.

Anbagam:
Yet another day care center, Anbagam ("shelter of love"), has been started in 2003 also in the South India Plantations. It takes care of 11 children. Besides medical care and meals, they too are being taught skills such that they can become self-reliant and elementary studies.

Over 20,000 individuals have benefitted from the Happy Homes initiatives since inception. HUL is wholeheartedly involved with all four centres and will continue to be involved in the future.