Fourth Wave Foundation

Supported by: Wipro Cares

About Fourth Wave Foundation

Over the last decade and half, Fourth Wave Foundation has been taking up social issues and turning them into innovation challenges, working with multi-stakeholders to address the divides and inequalities that exist in and around us. Our key areas of focus include: Education, Empowerment, Ethics and Inclusion. While the team has successfully executed many programs, two of them – Nanagu Shaale and Project VENDA – have evolved considerably to deliver significant and lasting impact to the community.

Projects

Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) in mainstream government schools – Nanagu Shaale – School for me too! has been clearly debating the issue of Home-Based Education Program (HBE) of the government and its failure. The most deprived of the CWSN – categorized as mentally retarded, spastic, mobility and seating positioning issues, who technically qualify as children with cerebral palsy, are educable and fit for regular schools with additional care and support services. They can be made class ready.

Nanagu Shaale has worked on piloting 4 SRPs working with 200+ CWSN in the last 5 years. It provided a state-level working model to enable the process of inclusion of out-of-school CWSN in regular government schools. The model SRP program was to showcase the need for SRPs. The SRP centers focus on HBE students who are now not part of any support program of the state or state educational system and are the most neglected. This model has developed a functional process for sanction of 240 SRPs in the State of Karnataka. As it is currently non-operational, approximately 40,000 CWSN are deprived of their right to education. SSAK has passed a government order mandating Nanagu Shaale with the training of 1200 teachers on the need for inclusive educational approach to address this problem.

This project is functioning with the support of Samagraha Shikshana Abhiyaan, Karnataka. It will achieve the goals given below during the next 3 years. The NS program has worked towards forming association of parents and CWSN parents’ groups to build their capacity so that they continue to lobby for inclusive education rights of CWSN in the SRP.

• Self-Advocacy Groups have been formed, empowered, and linked with all other SRP teams, agencies, and stakeholders.
• Impact at the policy level, enabling favorable changes in teaching curriculum and teacher training through project interventions with SDMCs, SSA, and local BRC. This has ensured that the education system is inclusive in nature and SRP functions to their optimal capacity.
• Effective linkages have been developed between the parents’ group/disabled children and the key stakeholders viz. relevant government agencies, school management committee and DPOs (Disabled people’s organization) to monitor the functions of the SRP and its staff.
• Moreover, Nanagu Shaale has been actively involved with the governmental Departments, parents, and teachers in enabling learning, therapies and other requirements for the benefit of the enrolled CWSN.

Combatting COVID 19

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the social distancing and new norms specified by the Government authorities, Nanagu Shaale team developed and implemented a comprehensive plan in accessing education and nourishment of the enrolled CWSN during these difficult circumstances. During this period, these children have made considerable progress that will enable them to be in the general education system. Nanagu Shaale team resumed their duties and continues to work from home, conduct house visits, medical and learning assessment following all the guidelines laid out by the Fourth Wave Foundation in consultation with the SSA and the Commissioner of Disabilities, Karnataka.