The four families who changed what was possible
In 2002 the special school opened with four learners. Their parents refused to let disability keep their children out of education.
Read the story: The four families who changed what was possibleImpact
Impact is more than a number.
We publish the figures the organisation can stand behind, and describe the rest honestly rather than inventing statistics.
Verified figures
What we can state with confidence.
2002
Special school established
75
Sanctioned learner intake (50 day + 25 residential)
25
Residential places at Samarth Vihar
2001
Village surveys running every year since
Cumulative beneficiary counts, placement rates and financial breakdowns have not been published by the organisation. Rather than estimate them, we leave the space for the real numbers — they will appear here once the organisation releases its reports.
Qualitative impact
What changes, in practice.
Children found who were never counted
Door-to-door surveys in interior villages every year since 2001 — reaching families who were never told education was possible.
A place to live, not just attend
Samarth Vihar is described by the organisation as the only residential institution with boarding for children with intellectual disabilities in the district.
Skills that produce sellable goods
Handloom articles, incense sticks, holi colours, candles, rakhis, diyas, greeting cards and calendars — made here, sold at stalls.
A cleaner river
Temple flowers are collected before they are put into the Narmada, then turned into raw material.
Confidence in front of an audience
Sangeet Academy students perform in cultural programmes and sit formal examinations each December.
More trained educators in the region
The FC SE-DE foundation course in special education has run since 2005 with Bhoj University.
Stories
Impact, told properly.
A handloom, a pile of old saris, and a first pay packet
The 2015 handloom project turns discarded clothing into bedsheets, mats and table covers — and turns training into earning.
Read the story: A handloom, a pile of old saris, and a first pay packet
Temple flowers that never reach the river
A partnership with Trash for Cash Society turns temple offerings into incense sticks and holi colours — work, income and a cleaner Narmada.
Read the story: Temple flowers that never reach the river