First of all, the EFAVI Global Campaign goes well with the national thinking on the concept of Education for All. Many States in the region have already initiated State level Campaigns on promotion of Education for All children including children with disabilities. The most popular program in this regard is Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan (Education for All) launched by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India.
India Task Force Meeting: A meeting of the 18 leading educators of the visually impaired, representatives of the INGOs promoting education and Government officials was held on 9th October, 2006 at the Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi. The meeting began with the presentation by Dr. MNG Mani on the significance of the EFAVI Global Campaign. The members evolved a Plan of Action in terms of promoting the campaign as a part of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All) campaign already launched by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, seeking more active involvement of participation various instrumentalities of the Central as well as State Governments promoting education for all and seeking financial and material resources for ensuring coverage of children with visual impairment in the National Programme.
Support of the CBM: The CBM, South Asia Regional Office, Bangalore has earmarked a budget of about US $ 37,500 for the promotion of the campaign on education for all children with visual impairment. With this support, ICEVI West Asia would convene a National Level Workshop on EFAVI, conduct a situational level survey, introduce capacity building programs, develop a program for Radio and electronic media for promoting the campaign and prepare & publish campaign material and promote. The following programs have already been implemented with this support:
1. The Tamil Nadu State Coordination Committee of the PARIVAAR organized a number of awareness rallies on education for all children with disabilities in Tamil Nadu. The children from 20 special schools took a rally at 10.00 am on September 8, 2007 at Chennai. The Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities flagged off the rally, Mr. Jayakodi flagged off the rally. Dr. MNG Mani represented the ICEVI in this rally and addresses the parents and the children. The Hindu, a leading newspaper carried a news item on this event.
2. MNG Mani and Dr. Bhushan Punani made a presentation on the EFAVI campaign in the National Symposium convened by the Community Ophthalmic Society of India (COSI) at Coimbatore on 24th November, 2007. The representative of various organizations promoting services of community ophthalmology appreciated the initiative of the ICEVI in launching this campaign. The representatives of the CBM led by Ms. Gunawathy Fernandes and that of Sightsavers led by Ms. Elizabeth Kurian also participated in the symposium.
3. Bhushan Punani made a presentation on EFAVI campaign in the regional meeting of the Rehabilitation Council of India convened at Jodhpur on 30th November, 2007. The Deputy Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities and Divisional Commissioner participated in the meeting and assured implementations of the campaign.
Outcome: The Rehabilitation Council of India has decided to recognize the host organization of Jodhpur to establish a teacher-training course to ensure availability of educators in the State of Rajasthan – one of the goals of EFAVI.
4. Bhushan Punani made a presentation on the campaign on 28th December at the National Seminar on the rights of persons with disabilities at the SNDT University, Mumbai.
5. Bhushan Punani and Mr. Bipin Mehta had a meeting with Ms Mina Bhat, Director, Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan, Gujarat. Ms Bhat had made a presentation on the concept of Education for All in the ICEVI West Asia Regional Conference held in New Delhi during 23-25 January, 2005. She appreciated the concept of EFAVI and decided to entrust the responsibility of assessment of all the children with blindness and low vision to the Blind People’s Association in 11 out of 25 districts in the State of Gujarat. About 10,000 such children would be assessed and many of them would be enrolled in the schools in the next academic session. She is likely to assign all the 25 districts during the year 2008-09 and that would be a great break through in respect of promoting and ensuring education for all children with visual impairment in the State of Gujarat.
Note: There would be no financial implications to BPA, CBM or ICEVI as Govt. of Gujarat has allocated unrestricted budget for this purpose.
Forthcoming Events:
1. Dr. Bhushan Punani would make a presentation on EFAVI in the two-day conference on Disability & Disaster on 28 - 29th January 2008 in Bhubaneswar. The leading educators in the disability sector and professional in the field of disability development are expected to attend the presentation. He would also call upon the concerned Govt. Officials and the leading disability development NGOs to promote this concept.
2. Dr. Bhushan Punani and Dr. S R Mittal would make a presentation on EFAVI in the Regional Techshare conference to be held in Delhi during 4th and 5th February, 2008
3. Ms Nandini Rawal and Dr. Bhushan Punani would make a presentation on the campaign in Kolkatta for the Educators of the visually impaired and the Government officials from West Bengal on 26th February, 2008.
4. Mrs. Nandini Rawal and Dr. Bhushan Punani would conduct a one-day Workshop on the EFAVI Global Campaign for the participants of the Asia Pacific Conference on Disability at Dhaka in Bangladesh on 7th February 2008. A number of participants sponsored by the CBM and SightSavers would also attend this Workshop.
5. We are planning a state level meeting for the State of Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal. The meeting be arranged and coordinated by local NGOs working in the field of disability development. The meeting is likely to be organized during the month of March, 2008
6. The ICEVI is planning to organize a national level meeting on the EFAVI along with Summit of Minds – a national level conference to be organized by the Rehabilitation Council of India. The dates for the meeting are yet to be finalized.