Cittadinanza supports the activities carried out at the “Best New Life Shelter”(BNLS), a day care centre which provides rehabilitation and assistance to children with serious neuropsychiatric disabilities in the Tamil Nadu area.
The centre was founded by Catherine and Inbarajan in 2003, who were urged on by their own personal needs as mother and father of a mentally retarded small son affected by spastic tetraparesis. Due to the total lack of any type of health services in the area, Catherine went ahead and opened the centre, getting the necessary training in the rehabilitation field.
The main goal of the day centre is to run a place where children can receive medical care and take part in a rehabilitation programme, and where their parents can be supported in developing their relationship with their children and can be actively involved in the rehabilitation activities.
The BNLS centre can take in up to 50 children. They receive physiotherapy, medical treatment, rehabilitation, education and vocational training through lessons on how to use and recycle poor materials and how to manage simple handcraft production (candles, chalks, etc.). Children are daily provided with hygienic care and meals.
Furthermore, home visits are carried out for those patients who cannot reach the centre or are in need of just a little assistance. BNLS staff also promotes awareness initiatives and campaigns for the population, targeting especially ill children’s parents in order to raise their knowledge of their children’s rights.
For each child, a small contribution is asked to the families, according to their income (a maximum of 50 rupees = 1 euro per month).
About 20 euro per month is the amount of money necessary to provide a child with adequate treatment, physio and rehabilitation assistance.
