Initiatives for the Differently-abled

Production Oriented Units/Industrial Units

The Paul Brandt Saga

Paul Brandt, the father of Plastic surgery and the son of a missionary once came to Anandwan to witness its activities. Upon seeing the leprosy maimed patients doing hard manual labor, Brandt criticized Baba, calling him a cruel and heartless man. But little did he then understand Baba's dictum, 'Let them lose their limbs but not their dignity'. Baba challenged Brandt to send a research team and monitor for a year the physical, social and economic health of his deformed workmen.

Once the year was up, Brandt was surprised when his research team reported that the work force had suffered absolutely no health damage thanks to their participation in the production units. In fact, those who were once submissive and timid due to continuous rejection by society were now confident and independent economic propositions, contributing handsomely to the Anandwan treasury.

Paul humbly submitted to Baba and subsequently strongly recommended his name for the Damien Dutton Award, the highest international award in the field of Leprosy. Baba Amte received the Damien Dutton in 1983.

Philosophy

Not knowing when the rain gods would unleash their fury or if there would be a failed harvest, in order to lessen the dependence on agriculture as a source of income, Dr. Vikas Amte, the head of the institution wished that industrial production be given due importance in Anandwan. Started under the aegis of Sandhi Niketan in April 1970, industrial activity today flourishes in Anandwan.

Anandwan's commercial activities include producing everything ranging from cloth, mattresses, carpets, ready-to-wear garments, leather products, metal furniture, including iron beds, desks, and benches, tricycles, metal storage bins, water coolers, and air conditioners. And all these are prepared by the rehabilitated members of the Anandwan Community. These production oriented units account for nearly 40% of the Anandwan Economy.

Activities in Anandwan General Workshop

• Handicrafts and Art Section
• Cloth weaving
• Carpet Weaving
• Tailoring and Garment Stitching
• Leather Crafts
• Carpentry
• Cane-Work
• Hand- Knitting

• Metal Fabrication Workshop
• Spinning & Weaving
• Wood Carving
• Painting
• Automobile Repair
• Welding
• Electrical Winding
• Brick Making
• Products made out of discarded tin cans

Production Overview

The Handloom and Power loom section

Together, the handloom and power loom weaving units produced nearly 100,000 meters of cloth in the financial year 2006-07, which was valued at nearly Rupees 35 lakhs. In the financial year 2006-07, Anandwan produced 25,394 square feet of mattresses and carpets worth more than Rupees 5 lakhs.

Art Work and Handicrafts

The philosophy that guides the Handicraft section is Baba's motto 'The artist is not a special kind of man, but every man is a special kind of artist.'

When you enter the Art section of Anandwan you will be surprised to see drift-wood, dried leaves, stones, wax, empty bottles, matchsticks and matchboxes, worn out tyres, X ray sheets, thrown away pieces of cloth and broken bangles, everything that nature has provided and man has left to decay, being molded into exquisite greeting cards, wall pieces, posters and diaries by the people with disabilities here.

Process Detail

In fact, what is special about the Art Work and Handicraft section is the unique way in which they use agricultural waste like the bark of Banana palms and paddy straw. The bark of the Banana palm is brought straight off the farms. The processing of the bark involves intensive sun drying and moistening to strip the thick bark into malleable pieces. Thereafter stencils are used to cut out attractive patterns from the bark to be used to fashion greeting cards and posters. Similarly, spiral paddy straw brought to the artwork section from the paddy fields is dried, slit and straightened out before use. Every creation contributes towards keeping the economy ticking.

In the year 2006-07, more than 61,000 greeting cards were sold. The total contribution of the Art Work and Handicraft section to the Anandwan Treasury as income from sale was a whopping Rupees 6.3 lakhs.

Printing Press

The Anandwan printing press prints notebooks for the schools and colleges run by Maharogi Sewa Samiti, and all the stationery required by Anandwan. Apart from this, it carries out printing work for several outside agencies that prefer to order their printing work from a nonprofit organization. During the financial year 2006-07, Anandwan completed printing orders worth close to Rupees 10 lakhs.

Metal Fabrication Workshop

The metal furniture workshop produces iron beds, desks, chairs, benches, metal bins, sieves, baking trays and other metal items. The workshop's output in the year 2006-07 was more than Rupees 22 lakhs.

Assistive Devices

Several assistive devices, such as tricycles operated by hand, for patients who cannot walk, hospital equipment, special kind of footwear made from recycled tyres without any nails or sharp objects for leprosy patients, wheel chairs, and artificial limbs, are also designed and manufactured in Anandwan. They are distributed amongst the residents, free of cost. The surplus is sold outside, in the surrounding area. Almost 200 tricycles are manufactured annually.

1. Special Foot Wear Unit

   The Sita Ratan Hospital also has a special foot wear unit. Here nail-free, soft foot wear is prepared. These special shoes are made from soft Micro Cellular Rubber (MCR) sourced from Chennai and Kolkata. MCR is made from rejected airplane tires. The material ensures that there are no injuries on the under feet of leprosy patients due to friction. The shoes prepared here are distributed among Leprosy and Arthritis patients and Diabetics, free of cost. The unit also supplies operation theatre slippers to renowned hospitals in nearby towns.
   
   The foot wear is also available in customized design for use by normal people. Scores of visitors including government officials, ministers and film stars procure these comfortable sandals from Anandwan. The sale contributes immensely to the Anandwan Economy.

2. Navachaitanya Artificial Limb Fitting Center, Anandwan

   MSS believes that rehabilitation of Persons With Disabilities would not be complete without an Artificial Limb and Caliper Fitting Center. As a result of the intense efforts of Penny Penton, Kate Beresford, and Meryl Glover, physiotherapists from UK, the seed for Navchaitanya Artificial Limb and Caliper Fitting Centre was sown in February 2007.
   
   This Center is the first of its kind in central India by an NGO. The unit is well equipped with Ottobock healthcare India’s tools and machineries. Under its aegis, not only hi-tech but also conventional limbs and calipers are being fitted keeping the demographical requirements in mind.
   
   These hi–tech limbs and light weight calipers have become a boon not only for the inmates of Anandwan but also for the people all over Central India.

Success Stories

1. Guddu Botlavar

   Guddu is a bilateral amputee. He lost both of his limbs in an accident in August 2001. After that he was bed-ridden for 2 yrs, and had lost hope for life. He came to Anandwan, 3 yrs back and began singing in SWARANDANWAN. For the past 5 yrs he never wore any kind of limbs.
   
   Now he has been fitted with state of art limbs with components from Ottobock Healthcare India. Thus he has finally got a fresh lease of life. His confidence has boosted as never was, and he sings with a new vigour.

2. Leela Jeevtode

   A below knee amputee, her limb was lost due to ulcers caused by leprosy. She lost her limb in December 2006. After that she was in severe depression and undergoing medical treatment for it.
   
   After fitment of the limb she has gone back to Somnath project and has come out of depression. She has re-joined her duties as a helper in the kitchen.

3. Donu Choudhary

   He is a very senior resident of Anandwan. He looks after the dogs. He had lost his limb due to leprosy in 1992. He was wearing a conventional limb since then.
   
   Now he has been fitted with a hi-tech limb. He is very happy with the new limb as it is lighter in weight. Now he can do his tedious work with more ease.

4. Mangesh Bhandekar

   Mangesh's right limb is affected by polio. He has now been fitted with a light weight caliper. After being fitted with this caliper he decided that he wanted to help others like him in a different way. So now he has joined our artificial limb centre, and helps as an assistant.