The desilva handicap trust is a registration charity that was established over 11 years ago by Mr.M.shanmugam .it was set up to help tackle the problems of handicap and mentally retarded children in and around the kotagiri area. from its humble origins’ as a family institution, it has grown rapidly and now plans to take on a wide range of projects and activities around kothagiri.
The trust is committed to the welfare of the most physically and mentally challenged individuals/children in the community without distinction of cast , creed or color . The emphasis is on assisting these children desperate need of support and enabling them to be valued and contributing members of the community.
The trust’s logo symbolizes its vision for the future a future in which every child can look forward to a new day , a day free from suffering ,abuse and poverty. by showing how grass roots efforts can help communities, the trust wants to empower families and children across the world, to give them new hope and help them rise out of poverty.
Mr.M.shanmugam’s children’s Mr.jeevakumar and Mrs.sona trained in special education and psychology with special B.Ed, are also working for the trust.
The tust is run with help from donors-small and big, who can see the need for such an organization and the good it is doing in the community .though the trust has helped several , there are many more children in and around kothagiri they are not able to accommodate, because of constraints on space and other resources they need help.
Managing Trustee
Mr.M.Shanmugam is one of the most well known and respected people around kotagiri area .his third son DESILVA was born with intellectual disability .Despite not having too many resource, Mr.shanmugam tried to help his son by seeking out several treatment options for desilva for about fifteen years ,but desilva passed away at the age of fifteen.
aving seen how difficult it was to care for and manage day to day functioning of his son ,Mr.shanmugam decided to visit other people in community who had children like Desilva and see if he could help them. His was mostly a community of farmers and daily laborers .with no options for child care , parents with mentally challenged children were forced to leave these children home, sometimes having to tie their child with a rope for most of the day. It brought him to tears. he also realized that girls in similar situations as his son, Desilva would have greater challenges there would be no protection for them.
He decided then to dedicate his life to these children. he started the desilva handicap trust in a small room in his own house. then plan was to transport the children(getting a loan to buy a vehicle for this) to and from their house and provide them food ,clothing ,education ,physiotherapy , speech therapy ,and training for self employment all free of cost.
The trust supported by donations from the government, supplies walking sticks, wheel chairs and equipment for the blind. It provides financial help for students training for a B.Ed (MR) special education and also maintains a sports club.
DESILVA HANDICAP TRUST has grown into a huge one in terms of activities if not in term of budget. During the last year we have undertaken a number of activities which is well documented in this report
I am truly grateful for your passionate contribution towards making the desilva Handicap Trust a mission that envisions creating self-reliant, educated and empowered communities. I look forward to your continuous support in the eternal of our commitment towards social transformation.