Hyderabad: Living at Home

Durga Vihar, a house in Gun Rock Enclave in Hyderabd, is like any other house. The only manner in which it is different from others is that eight mentally challenged girls who live in the house as a family.

Reshma, Madhavi, Surekha, Chotu, Anita, Shweta, Shimone and Vicky, mentally challenged girls who were brought together three years ago by Swayamkrushi, a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) working for the rehabilitation of mentally challenged people, are now self-dependent and make their own living. The girls come from different strata of society as well as from different parts of the country. For instance, Chotu is from New Delhi and Reshma from Kashmir.

Swayamkrushi, headed by Manjulaa Kalyaan, is the first NGO in the country to introduce ‘Living in home concept’ for mentally challenged people, has trained these girls in cooking, stitching and other household works.

Source: Mentally challenged lead normal life. Times of India, March 11, 2002, Hyderabad, India