The sphere of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) has drastically changed over the past years and so does its approaches, dimensions and responses. CBR which aimed towards enhancing the lives of people with disabilities (PwD) has adopted a multi-sectoral approach like inclusion, disaster risk reduction, and safeguarding while combating the perpetual cycle of poverty and disability.

Caritas India organized a Southern regional training workshop (ToT) at Good Shepherd Convent, Bangalore from September 27-29, 2022 for the field staff of CBR field teams to promote exchange, share new knowledge on disability and mainstream Key Strategy pillars with CBR components.  

The workshop helped to exchange their achievements, challenges, solutions and innovative practices from their respective project locations generating cross learnings. The team also gained knowledge on Disability Inclusion in DRR, DPO facilitation, early intervention and rehabilitation, gender inclusion, community mobilization, policies related to safeguarding, child protection and POSH. The findings and recommendations of the evaluations and mainstreaming of the key strategic pillars with the CBR components were also shared with the participants. There were 40 participants altogether, including Fr. Jolly Puthenpura, Asst. Executive Director and four key Facilitators. 

“One should be engaged in the service of humanity whether one is employed or not,” said Fr Jolly Punthenpura, while interacting with the regional team. He encouraged them to work with passion. “Caritas is love in action and it is a “Mission” given to us. We work for everyone in the community though we are a faith-based organization, 95% of our target group belongs to other faiths and Caritas is purely a secular organization.

He told the teams to create joy, love, peace, create a better environment and promote humanity for a better future.” said Fr. Jolly.

Mr. Nishad from the Association of People with Disabilities (APD) an expert on facilitating community-based early intervention services to children below six years took the first session providing inputs on ‘how to identify children below six years with development delays, referral for meeting health and rehabilitation needs and working with family members in providing services to enhance proper growth and development of young children towards preventing secondary impairments.’

Mr. Shivram Deshpande from Samarthanam Trust for the disabled took a session on strengthening rehabilitation services for children with Cerebral Palsy and associated impairments. Through a reflection process, he elicited the expectations of the trainees on this subject and tried to cover all the expectations in a practical and participative manner in the given time slot. 

The CI CBR team: Mr. Venkatesa Reddy, Mr. Kempaiah and Mr. George oriented the field teams on DI DRR based on the manual it had developed in the past. They covered six chapters, including understanding DRR concepts, disability inclusion in DRR, vulnerability assessment, disability-inclusive early warning system, shelter management, advocacy and networking. 

In sync with the revised DPO training handbook, the Caritas India CBR team members oriented the teams on disability, its approaches, human rights, SHG/DPO concept, structure, role and functions, Advocacy, lobbying and networking by the DPOs. There was a review of the current status of SHG/DPO functioning in the field areas and feedback was provided on how to strengthen their structure, function and advocacy process at all levels.

The gender inclusion session was taken by Ms. Christy Abraham, Advisory Board member of CI CBR. She explained various terms associated with gender – understanding gender broadly, gender discrimination, sex and sexuality and how the hierarchical system in society always discriminated against girls and women. She said that like women in society persons with disabilities and particular women with disabilities are doubly discriminated against with a lack of opportunities for education, livelihood and socialization resulting in their further isolation and segregation in society. She said that there has to be an enabling environment in the form of favourable laws, schemes, and facilities for women in general and persons with disabilities in particular leading to their meaningful inclusion in society. She invited the participants to share their field experiences on how they addressed gender discrimination practices and promoted gender inclusion in their respective field areas. 

Mr. Kempaiah oriented the teams briefly on the child protection policy, Mr. George oriented them on safeguarding while Mr. Venkatesa Reddy spoke on POSH.

In the last session, Mr. George oriented the teams on the highlights of the evaluations and mainstreaming CBR components in the key Strategic Pillars. He also engaged the participants in an open session clarifying their doubts and providing guidelines for their effective functioning and encouraged them to contribute towards local resource mobilization to the organization.