Handihelp Welfare Foundation, Kolhapur

HandiHelp Welfare Foundation is a company formed under Section 8 (Formerly Section 25) of the Companies Act in 2016. The Foundation provides comprehensive rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in various areas, such as:

1. ‘Swapna Nagari’, Dist. Sindhudurg - ‘Swapna Nagari’, Dist. Sindhudurg a hostel cum rehabilitation center that provides vocational training in cashew processing, and other activities like farming, plantation, etc. to the disabled persons from rural and backward areas. The center also provides accommodation, food, health care, and social activities to the inmates.

2. Vocational training center - A Vocational training center in Kolhapur that provides skills in making appliances for the disabled, such as calipers, crutches, wheelchairs, etc. The center also provides skills in tailoring, needlework, and handicrafts to the disabled women, and helps them to earn a livelihood.

3. Cashew Processing Training Unit : This unit was started in March 2004 with the intention of providing vocational training and employment to persons with disabilities from backward rural areas. The unit trains the inmates in various aspects of cashew processing, such as sorting, grading, peeling, roasting, packing, etc. The unit also provides them with a regular income and a market link for their products. The unit has a capacity of processing 10 tons of raw cashew per month, and employs 50 persons with disabilities.

4. Hostel cum Rehabilitation Center : This center provides accommodation, food, health care, and social activities to the inmates of Swapna Nagari. The center has a capacity of housing 100 persons with disabilities, and provides them with a comfortable and accessible environment. The center also provides medical assistance, counseling, therapy, and recreational facilities to the inmates. The center also organizes various events and festivals to celebrate the achievements and talents of the inmates.

5. Farming and Plantation : This activity provides an opportunity for the inmates to learn and practice organic farming and plantation on the land of Swapna Nagari. The activity involves growing various crops and fruits, such as rice, wheat, vegetables, mangoes, cashew, etc. The activity also provides a source of income and nutrition for the inmates. The activity also promotes environmental awareness and conservation among the inmates.

The Swapna Nagari project was being run by Handihelp Welfare Foundation since 2016. Due to continuous losses incurred on account of various reasons in the last 5 consecutive years and inability to get process job work for the last 4 months, a financial emergency had arisen in the project. The Board of Directors of Handihelp was making every effort to get work and find a way out of this situation with the helpers’ cooperation. The Board of Directors offered food and stay without any charges along with subsistence allowance to the staff to provide relief to the employees till the issue of salary was sorted out. But the employees were not satisfied by this. Considering the situation and the request received from the staff members, Handihelp and Helpers decided to hand over the Swapna Nagari project to Sahas Disability Research and Care Foundation, Kolhapur on rent-free lease. A Tripartite MoU was signed between Helpers, Handihelp and Sahas to run the entire Swapna Nagari project - 12 acres of land with all its buildings, equipment and tools for free for a period of 5 years keeping in mind the equality of the objective of rehabilitation of the disabled.

We hope that this transition will be smooth and beneficial for all the stakeholders involved, and that the Swapna Nagari project will continue to serve the disabled persons with the same dedication and quality.