As she greets the volunteers and the staff, she continues to explain that this is also why they have some parents working there: “Around here, everyone is very dedicated, but you can see that people who have been through a personal experience with kids with a disability are more involved. That’s why there are some parents working here: they’ve really got the push to help.” She continues: “It’s also important to understand that you can’t really get far without dedication in this line of work: we need people who are in it with their heart. Of course we are always on the lookout for people who’ve had training or experience with autism, but if you’re just happy to help, you’re always welcome here.”
In this light, the interns that come from Leave UR Mark are especially welcomed: “It is really commendable that these interns are willing to spend their time volunteering, and they’re very valuable, as they have a different perspective and bring new input. We often don’t have the means they’ve got in the west, and we’re constantly faced with challenges: thinking out of the box is a daily necessity.” She smiles: “Then there’s also their work ethic, of course, which is wonderful: these interns never check the time when they’re working and if they have to help a kid, they go for it completely. We really want to have those kind of people here.”
Still, the work is very intensive, and it often takes several volunteers or employees to take care of a few kids. This tends to keep the company small, but Usha explains they still try to reach as many people as possible: “As an organization we’re not that big, but we continually train other people and increase our outreach that way. If we’d want to be bigger, we’d need more space, more funding, and most importantly more dedicated workers. Right now, that isn’t an option, but we try the best we can through our outreach programs. We’ve got a therapist that goes to several schools each week to cater to the kids for free, for example.”
There’s also another reason why Usha is so grateful for the Leave UR Mark interns that come, as she realizes it’s not always easy for them to travel all the way to Bangalore:“I think it’s really important that they read up on India, because life here is really very different.” She considers for a moment, then continues: “I think the best analogy would be an extreme sport: every day is a challenge in India, and even something small like crossing the road is not easy here.You really have to make do with what’s here and you’re constantly challenged. In the United States, for example, the state does a lot for you. Interns shouldn’t expect that in India, or they’ll be disappointed.”
This, she reflects, holds for the Indian situation for disabled kids as well: “Wheelchairs, for example, are still a big challenge in India, where we don’t even have proper pavements most of the time. Also, it is a hard fight even to get parents to reveal their kids’ disabilities, since there is this obsession with education and degrees: parents are really eager to get their kids into regular school. Perhaps the most important part of our job is to get these parents to accept that their child should go to a different school and simply can’t do certain things.” Once they do that, however, the possibilities for growth are ample: They recently bought an induction stove for their school, for example, so that some of the ADLs children could start making tea, candles and small dishes, which both cuts down costs and helps the kids prepare for vocational life. Usha concludes: “In the end, it may not be easy for interns from other countries to face this challenging situation, but the fact that they do, and are such a great help, is remarkable.”
To apply for this project, email info@leaveurmark.com. Experience or background in psychology, therapy, and education required.
