Gandhi Rural Rehabilitation Center

Alampundi, India

The forming of GRRC

In December 1983, a few physically challenged individuals came together to take steps to come out of their poverty. GRRC was soon registered as a Society under the Tamilnadu Societies registration Act 1975.

GRRC began as a weaving workshop and a training center for weavers and with the years, the activities of GRRC diversified in answer to the needs and requests of the villagers.

GRRC’s vision in simple terms is to identify people with various forms of disability in the rural areas and rehabilitate them by providing them treatment, education, training, and employment support.

In this direction, GRRC’s activities cover:

• Polio treatment center

• Hostel for polio affected children

• Alamaram Workshop for the challenged

• Malarchi - nursery and herbal garden

• Anjali - a day care center for children with special needs

Polio Treatment Center

At the request of parent’s who had children affected by polio, GRRC started the polio treatment center in 1986. The purpose of this center is to identify children and adults affected by polio/other disabilities and urge them to take treatment at the center. Two social workers regularly scan the nearby village and refer the patient to the center where a physiotherapist and orthotechnician attend to their needs and provide required treatment.

There is an orthopedic workshop where calipers and crutches for the children are manufactured using locally available low cost materials.

Parents pay 50% of the cost. Surgery is arranged for those children with fixed deformities that cannot be corrected by physiotherapy and POP application.

For those who require artificial limbs, we coordinate with other organisations and provide the required limb.

Parents of the affected children who are registered at the center have formed an association with a compulsory membership fee of Rs.5 per month. An elected committee of 5 persons meet once a month and decide on the activities of the association and guide the staff of the center. It is planned that gradually the association should assume responsibility to run the center.

Hostel for polio affected children

Education is very important in an individual’s life and more so for some one who is physically at a disadvantage. But taking the children to school was almost impossible and working parents saw this as an additional responsibility.

Therefore the idea of a hostel attached to a school seemed to be the best solution to this problem. With co-operation from the Sisters of St.Joseph of Cluny, a hostel was started. The hostel accommodates 25 children and is located in Aniladi. The children attend the local elementary or high school. A physiotherapist looks after the medical needs of the children and the Sisters of St.Joseph’s Cluny supervise the management of the hostel. Parents contribute about 25 % of the expenses and GRRC manages the finances and medical treatment.

Alamaram Workshop for the Challenged

The starting of this weaving unit in 1983 was really the beginning of GRRC. Initially, it consisted of a few weavers working on the traditional pit loom to produce cotton fabric mainly of the lungi (a sarong like checkered garment worn by men) variety. Gradually it became clear that a wider variety of fabric and production of value-added finished garments would improve sales. This need led to the opening of a tailoring and embroidery unit that has increased the number of physically challenged people.

In a couple of years, the sales of these finished garments grew to such an extent that the whole unit became self-sufficient and is also able to contribute small amounts for the running of the other projects.

While most products are being exported, conscious efforts are being taken to build a niche in the local markets. Currently, sales from the local markets contribute to 15% of the total sales.

Keeping environmental concerns in mind, the weaving center also use natural dyed yarn apart from the chemically dyed ones. 

Malarchi - nursery

GRRC’s efforts towards reversing the trend of forest degradation started in 1987. Born out of this effort is Malarchi- a nursery.  As a part of the social forestry program, GRRC converted a dry area of 3 acres into a green belt. This 3 acres of land now houses a nursery from which the locals buy sapling of trees for their garden.

In recent years, GRRC has been researching the field of indigenous knowledge systems to find cures for various illnesses using time tested herbal medicines. For this purpose, GRRC maintains an herbal garden within Malarchi where our staff cultivate, collect and produce various medicines. In addition to this, GRRC also cultivates Spirulina, an algae that is know for it rich medicinal value. A small clinic near the orthopedic workshop provides treatment to people from nearby villages at a very minimal and nominal cost.

Malarchi and the clinic provide employment to the physical and mentally challenged.

Anjali - daycare center

Anjali, a day-care center for slow learners, autistic children and children with special needs, was started in 1995. It is situated inside Malarchi, giving the children the right environment to grow. There are about 11 children who come from in and around 3 kilometers of Alampundi. Some children are picked up from their homes on a bullock cart and some come on their own by buses using a free bus pass. 

A team of four staff members attend to the needs of these children and provide therapy, education and vocational training. Each child is given special exercise based on its specific requirement. The main aim of this center is to bring every child to an adequate level of self-sufficiency in eating, washing, etc. For those who are capable, we provide training weaving and gardening.

Apart from providing employment to the physically and mentally challenged, GRRC also employs people who are socially and economically disadvantaged. There are many staff welfare measures undertaken by GRRC some of which include medical allowances, educational support for children of staff members, noon meal scheme, life insurance, bonus, etc for their staff members.

GRRC is financially self-sustaining in the sense that it is not financially dependent on any funding agency. However, some projects are supported by individual donations.

All donations to GRRC are exempt under Section 80 G of the Indian Income Tax Act.

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