Faiza Tehseen

Roshni Association (RA), Lahore is energetically making individuals with intellectual disabilities a part of economic activity. The initiative to make them self-sustainable is improving their lives and making them independent both financially and physically.

Talking to WealthPK, General Secretary Roshni Association Muhammad Zahid Durrani said, “From registration in 1996 and proper start in 2001 to date, we are playing an active role in the rehabilitation of persons with different abilities (PDAs). The main focus of RA is the rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities to enable them to earn their livelihood in a respectable way.”

Durrani said RA was a non-government organization funded by different local and foreign bodies. If the family of a person with cognitive challenges is able to pay minimum charges, they can; otherwise, the RA bears the training/caring and hospitality expenses of the institutionalized people with intellectual disabilities, he added.

He said 45 people were getting training in RA workshops, out of which 30 were living on the RA premises, while 15 were day boarders provided with pick and drop facility. The day boarders are housed in two caring houses of RA named as “Roshni” and “Sumbal”.

Continuing the discussion, he said the RA also extended the net of rehabilitation under the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Project, in its vicinities. Under this project, the rehabilitation of PDAs of almost all types is carried out to make them part of an active economic circle through training and education (at all age levels).

About 90 people in the three villages, i.e., ‘Karbath-1/2, Hevellian, and Hayer’ (both male and female, aged 5 to about 30 years), are the beneficiaries of CBR. Four trained Community Representative Persons (CRPs) manage this initiative. Each special friend is visited by CRPs four times a month on a weekly basis, provided with 45 minutes concerning monitoring, counseling, and training session. For their well-being, regular medical assistance is also provided to them.

Zahid, who is also the Managing Director of Hunza Organics, also shared that they were working day and night to extend the rehabilitation projects so that the PDAs, especially individuals with intellectual disabilities, may become a useful part of economic activities and society.

Talking about the rehabilitation and economic well-being of developmentally disabled people, Volunteer Public Relations Manager at Roshni Association Dr. Aamir Rizvi said, “Mostly, People with intellectual or developmental disorders in our society are sent to a mental asylum, or totally abandoned to beg or die. Even proper seating arrangement for them in offices and other public places is never focussed. Overall, disability (any type) in Pakistan is about 8-9% which is increasing at an alarming rate.”

He said people with incapacities, somehow get working opportunities but nothing of this kind for those with intellectual disabilities was available. The RA has taken this challenge and the number of beneficiaries is increasing, he added.  

According to the mental approach, based on the anthroposophical curative education perspective, Roshni has established special vocational therapeutic workshops, i.e., woodwork (toy making, chiseling, painting/ polishing); textile (loom weaving, embroidery, simple needle stitching, etc.); organic bakery (packing, measuring, or other help); organic farming (tilling, taking care of vegetation beds, watering, etc.); art and craft (creative writing, sketching, painting, bags, and small purse manufacturing), etc. Special care is taken to assign them non-hazardous activities.

Continuing the discussion, Dr. Aamir, who is also Manager Research & Monitoring at the Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan, said adults with intellectual disabilities  (aged from 18 up to 45 years) were institutionalized at Roshni. “Since they lack homogeneous characteristics, each one is a different case.

Their rehabilitation is a gradual process that requires time and patience. They can also be disturbed by any sudden shock. So, experts with a team of co-workers are always active to check and support them. Their work is considered a collective effort. All products made by them are showcased and sold in a display center situated on the RA premises.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk