Chingari: Where Kids Can Be Kids
Jul 17 2012 by Jade in Brighton
The Chingari Trust Rehabilitation Centre, funded by the Bhopal Medical Appeal provides rehabilitation to children affected by the gas or water contamination caused by the 1984 Union Carbide gas tragedy.
Ashok, Harsh Barhonia and Ashia at Chingari
The children who come to Chingari have a range of psychological and physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, delayed speech and language developments, sensory integration disorders and mental retardation. Many of the children cannot walk or talk. At Chingari the children are supported, stimulated, and encouraged, their mothers are also instructed on how to best care for and stimulate their children when they are at home.
Chingari focuses on special education, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, sports and nutritional supplementation for the children. In addition to this, Chingari is a place where the children can truly be themselves and run around and play. The centre is filled with the shrieks and screams of noisy children having fun and playing together.
Children playing in the Chingari Garden
Over 400 children are registered with the Trust and 120 children are seen each day. Most children come with their mothers but there are a few children who come on their own. Chingari has four vans and their drivers drive out to the bastis every morning to pick the children up and bring them to the center.
Chingari also has an outreach programme, organised by the community health workers which takes place every Saturday. Here the therapists go to gas and water affected areas to inform them of the work done at Chingari, and advising precautions to take to avoid deformities during pregnancy. They do this in the form of a community meeting and invite people to attend and bring their children.
You can visit the Chingari Trust website here
Tags: 1984 Union Carbide gas leak, bhopal, Bhopal Gas Disaster, Bhopal gas tragedy, bhopal medical appeal, Chingari Rehabilitation Centre, Chingari Trust
