The Work Site

The main entrance to the center

     As I mentioned in my first post, I work for an organization called Kiran and in order to provide some context for my experiences over the next seven months, I figure I should probably give a little background on the place where I work for 6-8 hours, 5 days a week. First, the official explanation:

     Kiran describes itself as a “center for the education, training, and rehabilitation of children and youngsters with different abilities.” Their mission is to “support differently-abled children and their parents with quality service in a holistic manner so that the children can become empowered and all-around healthy adults. (Kiran) also works to share this know-how and experience with other people and organizations who wish to do the same kind of service.”

Reception/ One of my favorite places to hang out

This mission translates into a wide-reaching organization with its base in Madhopur, a village about 15 km or a 30-45 minute bus ride outside Varanasi. In short, Kiran does a lot. I’m undoubtedly going to miss several units, but I’ll list the ones that come to mind.  For example, at the center alone there is:

•  a K-12 grade school that serves over 140 kids,
• a physical therapy/rehabilitation unit that treats those kids,
•  an orthotics workshop that designs and makes custom orthotics and prosthetics for the children on-site and free of charge,
•  a vocational school that trains young adults in employable skills including, but not limited to, woodworking, tailoring, baking, horticulture, and art and design,
• a free clinic where parents can bring their children to get diagnosed and learn how to care for people with that disability,
• a separate school (Human Resources Training Center or HRTC) that is training young adults to become special education teachers, with the idea that they will then go out and work in the villages Kiran can’t reach,
• and finally, a department to raise awareness in the society about disabilities, particularly cerebral palsy and polio.

The side of the Main Hall (and one of the center's dogs)

     On top of all this, Kiran runs week-long camps in rural villages for disabled children who live too far away to commute to the center as well as several other programs geared towards disability issues.
     Just to give you a sense of how large this whole operation is, understand that the “center” is really more like a small village with over 140 people living there and 120 kids and at least 50 staff members being bused in everyday.
     Now, my part in this whole shebang is really a tiny fraction of the overall picture. In the mornings, I’ve started helping out in the Art and Design unit by making bracelets which they sell in their store and recently, I’ve begun designing a new one that will hopefully be added to the collection. Soon, I will start helping out in a new food preservation unit that is being set up which I’ve gotten the impression will work with mentally challenged students as well as expand the products Kiran offers (they run a couple stores in the city in addition to supplying local vendors and partner organizations in Europe). In the afternoon, I run a P.E. class (check out my next post), and then one or two English classes for the staff and HRTC trainees.

Our hippo-therapy horse, Suresh

I suppose that’s pretty much the run down on Kiran but if you would like to learn more or get a more thorough overview, feel free to check out their website at kiranvillage.org.

P.S. Stay tuned for more pictures of the center and perhaps even a few showing exactly what I’ve been up to.