Our Project

Amo Vidyalaya (Sparsh), inaugurated on June 27, 2017 (Helen Keller Day), is a State Resource Centre for Deafblindness and a Therapeutic Service Centre for Children with Intellectual Disabilities. Located in Patia, Bhubaneswar and managed by Aaina, the centre is a pioneering initiative dedicated to education, rehabilitation, and inclusion of children and adults with multiple disabilities.

The centre implements two major projects: one supported by the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD), Government of Odisha, focusing on children with intellectual disabilities; and another supported by Sense International India, working for the rights and inclusion of persons with deafblindness. Currently, over 167 children and adults benefit from its services through both centre-based and home-based programs.

Objectives of Amo Vidyalaya (Sparsh):

• Provide education, therapy, and rehabilitation tailored to individual needs.
• Promote independent living through vocational training and livelihood opportunities.
• Ensure access to assistive devices, mobility support, and nutrition.
• Build awareness and capacities among parents, teachers, and community stakeholders.
• Advocate for inclusion and rights of persons with disabilities in society.

Key Activities and Achievements:

• Rehabilitation and therapeutic services for over 40 children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
• Vocational training programs enabling persons with disabilities to produce chocolates, appliqué work, jewellery, and paper bags under the brand Anmol.
• Livelihood support through micro-grants and employment opportunities, including placement of a deafblind individual as a data entry operator.
• Distribution of assistive devices such as smart canes, hearing aids, wheelchairs, and orthotic supports.
• Regular celebration of cultural and national events, strengthening social bonds and inclusivity.
• Capacity-building workshops and trainings for parents, teachers, NGOs, and ICDS staff.
• Active participation of children, parents, and youth with disabilities in advocacy forums and inclusive urban initiatives like Sensesphere.

Through its holistic approach, Amo Vidyalaya (Sparsh) continues to nurture ability, dignity, and self-reliance among persons with disabilities, creating a more inclusive society.

From October 2022, AAINA has started a CBR (Community Based Rehabilitation) Project on People with Disabilities supported by KARUNA Trust in Dhenkanal district. This project covers 70 villages of 2 Blocks i.e., Kamakhyanagar and Kankadahad along with Kamakhyanagar NAC (Notified Area Council). It aims to link the Children with disabilities with formal education by forming Resource Centres or Education hubs in operational areas and to promote the People with disabilities through different livelihood support with leadership development orientation programs. Apart from the therapeutic sessions, the Children with special needs (CWSN) are also provided with Special education.

Till now the baseline survey has been completed, a total no. of 27 DPOs has formed in operational villages and 19 children clubs are made in Resource Centres and schools, 10 community level orientation meeting was conducted with parents of children with disability and 5 meetings was conducted with FLWs, CRPs and PRI members. Different capacity building training was organised for the staffs of this project on Disability and Rehabilitation.

After the implementation of the project, 79 numbers of CWDs have been linked with formal education and 198 numbers of people with disability has applied for their Disability certificate and UDID card

Since 2021, Aaina has been implementing the Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) project with support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The project operates across two blocks—Khordha and Begunia—covering 200 villages. Our focus is to advance rights, access, and opportunities for persons with disabilities (PwDs) through community-led action and strong systems linkages.

What we aim to achieve

• Access to entitlements: Build capacity so that over 90% of PwDs are linked to government schemes and services, including 100% UDID coverage.
• Dignified livelihoods: Create livelihood opportunities for 100 PwDs, working through 50 Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to strengthen incomes and resilience.
• Inclusive education: Ensure 40% of children with disabilities attain an achievable standard of education and realise their right to learn.
• Early health and intervention: Improve access to health and early intervention services for 70% of children with disabilities aged 0–10 in the project area.
• Prepared, sensitive systems: Sensitise service providers and community institutions, and address humanitarian needs during disasters, in partnership with DPOs.

Climate Change- Climate Action – Non Economic Loss and Damage (NELD) Community Restoring Dignity, Reviving Resilience<

Climate change is not just about rising temperatures and extreme weather—it is about people, their lives, culture, and dignity. For the vulnerable coastal communities of Odisha, the ever-advancing sea has brought profound challenges that go beyond economic losses. These communities are experiencing Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD)—losses that cannot be measured in monetary terms but deeply affect wellbeing, identity, and resilience.

Aaina has been working with these communities for years, engaging in participatory assessments, policy advocacy, and awareness-building among youth and society at large. Through this project, we aim to strengthen community voices and highlight often-overlooked issues such as reduced food and nutrition security, deteriorating physical health, anxiety and stress from uncertain futures, loss of access to natural resources, unsafe migration, increased drudgery for women due to water scarcity, erosion of cultural identity, vulnerability of the elderly, and loss of traditional skills and knowledge systems.

Our Objectives

The project envisions building a coastal resilient community of nearly 10,000 people who are at the frontline of sea-level rise, coastal erosion, salinization, and frequent inundation. To achieve this, our key objectives are:

1. Document and Research NELD: Undertake participatory, community-led research to establish qualitative evidence on NELD, co-created with women, youth, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups, alongside local universities.
2. Advocate for Dignified Rehabilitation: Use the knowledge generated to push for inclusive, just, and dignified rehabilitation policies and strategies at the state level.
3. Strengthen Youth Engagement: Empower young women and men through skill-building, connecting them to youth networks, and supporting their participation at state, national, and global platforms.
4. Provide Support Services: Establish a Migrants Information Hub to protect migrant rights, extend psychosocial counselling, facilitate health consultations, and create “stretched family” support systems.
5. Promote Community Wellbeing: Facilitate innovative, community-driven programmes that focus on restoring dignity, security, and resilience in everyday life.

Through this initiative, Aaina seeks to ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable are not only heard but also shape the future of climate action and rehabilitation in Odisha.

The project ‘Safe Vibrant Healthy Public Spaces’ began in Dec 2022. It is conducted in partnership with WRI India and supported by Fondation Botnar under their ‘Healthy Cities for Adolescents’ program. The project's primary objective is for adolescents to experience safe, healthy, and vibrant cities in 2 cities (Bhubaneswar & Jaipur) in India by 2025. Aaina is one of the implementation partners in Bhubaneswar

The project objectives are

• to enhance knowledge among officials and stakeholders in 2 cities to plan and implement adolescent-friendly public spaces involving adolescents,
• to enhance the knowledge of adolescents about the ways in which they can contribute towards the process of development of safe, vibrant, and healthy public spaces
• to inform city and citizens about a testing model for developing adolescent-friendly public spaces
• to let the emergence of focus cities as examples of proof of concept for creating adolescent-friendly public space through systematic public space audits and using tactical urbanism as a testing mechanism.

The intent is to develop the capacities of a minimum of 250 adolescents regarding public spaces so they can participate and help in developing healthy, safe, and vibrant public spaces. Additionally, liaise and communicate with community members and city officials on the process and development to make the process participatory.

Building on the success of its first phase, Seed for Survival is entering a new and ambitious journey to strengthen sustainable farming practices and empower women farmers in Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district. With continued support from Savitri Trust, UK, and technical partnership with SAMBHAV, the project seeks to deepen its impact by expanding from 30 to 50 villages and reaching 700 women farmers over the next three years.

The proposed phase emphasizes scaling up organic farming, conserving indigenous seeds, and ensuring economic resilience for women farmers. While the first phase focused on training, sensitization, and establishing village-level seed banks, this second phase will advance towards market linkages, government program access, and stronger seed preservation systems.

A major thrust of the project will be on strengthening community seed banks—both at the village level and through three facilitation centers that will serve as exchange and marketplace hubs for traditional seeds. Women farmers will be encouraged not only to preserve and use seeds but also to distribute them to others, expanding the organic farming movement across the region.

Recognizing that women farmers are still underrepresented in formal systems, the project will prioritize their registration in government portals and linkages with schemes such as the Natural Farming Mission and other entitlements. By doing so, women farmers will gain access to financial support, resources, and recognition of their identity as farmers.

Additionally, the project will focus on economic empowerment by supporting women to enhance production volumes, reduce distress selling, and meet the growing market demand for organic produce. Capacity-building on organic manure and pesticide preparation will further strengthen their sustainable practices.

Through these efforts, Seed for Survival aims not only to improve livelihoods but also to contribute to broader climate goals—SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)—by protecting soil health, reducing chemical use, and preserving biodiversity.

Over the next three years, the project envisions a vibrant network of women organic farmers, stronger community-led seed banks, and empowered women who lead the way in sustainable agriculture while securing a better future for their families and the environment.

Launched in August 2023, "SHRUTI – The Sound of Silence" is a pioneering initiative by Aaina in collaboration with SAMBHAV. The project is dedicated to addressing hearing impairments across rural areas in the districts of Ganjam (Bhanjanagar and Belaguntha blocks) and Nayagarh (Odagaon and Nuagaon blocks) in Odisha.

Through a mobile screening van, SHRUTI brings essential hearing loss screening services directly to underserved communities, reaching both children and adults. In its first year, the project has successfully visited 160 villages and schools, screening over 4,500 individuals for hearing-related issues.

Supported by the Sneha Support Foundation INC, SHRUTI has gained recognition as the only initiative of its kind in the region, receiving acclaim from both the public and government authorities. Its focus on early identification, diagnosis, and the provision of hearing aids helps prevent avoidable hearing loss, offering crucial support to vulnerable populations.

Objectives of the Programme:

• Prevent Hearing Loss: Raise awareness to prevent avoidable hearing loss caused by disease or injury through sessions in schools and villages.

• Early Identification: Conduct hearing assessments at schools and in communities to ensure early identification, diagnosis, and referral for hearing loss and deafness.

• Hearing Aid Provision: Provide hearing aids and link individuals with various government schemes and services for better communication support.

Major Activities:

• Hearing assessments in schools and villages
• Awareness sessions at the community and school levels
• Personalized home interventions by special educators and field coordinators
• Provision of hearing aids for identified individuals with hearing impairments
• Schematic linkages to ensure access to relevant services
• Referral services for advanced medical care
• ENT camps at the Gram Panchayat (GP) level

Violence against women remains a critical issue globally, affecting countless lives. It is a pervasive and deeply entrenched issue that violates the fundamental rights and dignity of women worldwide. It encompasses physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse, often perpetuated within intimate relationships or fueled by societal attitudes of gender inequality. Urgent action is essential to combat this epidemic, as it not only inflicts immediate harm but also perpetuates cycles of trauma and perpetuates systemic oppression. Addressing violence against women is crucial for creating safer, more equitable societies where all individuals can thrive

1. Background of the Project: To address this pervasive problem, Aaina has been running a Women support Centre at Kandhamal district since 2021-22 in partnership with SP Kandhamal. The introduction of a women support center within the SP (Superintendent of Police) office heralds a significant stride towards fostering a safer and more inclusive community. This dedicated center is envisioned as a beacon of hope and assistance for women facing various forms of violence, abuse, discrimination, or gender-related challenges. With a steadfast commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of every woman, the center offers a comprehensive range of services tailored to their specific needs. The centre is located inside the SP office. The support centre is a comprehensive initiative aimed at providing a safe and supportive environment for women facing violence at home and in public places. The center offers a range of services, including counseling, legal assistance, education, and community outreach, to empower women to break the cycle of violence and regain control over their lives.

By forging strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and stakeholders, the women support center endeavors to create a network of solidarity and empowerment. Through community engagement initiatives and awareness campaigns, it seeks to challenge societal norms, promote gender equality, and prevent violence against women

With unwavering dedication and a steadfast commitment to justice, the Women support center stands as a testament to the collective resolve to create a more equitable and compassionate society where every woman can live free from fear and oppression. It also provides career counseling support to young women and girls basically the victim of child marriage/elopement etc.

2. Duration of the Project: The said Project is proposed for 5 years (2024-30)
3. Goal - To establish a sustainable and ongoing support mechanism tailored to the needs of women who have experienced violence, abuse, discrimination, or other gender-related issues within the community served by SP Kandhamal.
4. Objective of the Project:

• Expand Reach: Increase accessibility and outreach efforts to ensure that women from diverse backgrounds, including marginalized communities, have access to the center's services.
• Enhance Services: Continuously improve and expand the range of services offered, including counseling, awareness building, legal assistance, empowerment programs, and advocacy, to better meet the evolving needs of women
• Capacity Building: Provide training and capacity-building initiatives for staff and volunteers to enhance their skills in addressing gender-based violence and supporting survivors effectively
• Prevention and Education: Intensify efforts in prevention through community education, awareness campaigns, and initiatives aimed at challenging harmful gender norms and promoting gender equality.

• Support in Empowerment: Empower women to become advocates for change in their communities by providing them with the necessary tools, resources, and support to assert their rights and demand accountability.

• Collaboration and Networking: Strengthen partnerships with other organizations, government agencies, and community stakeholders to enhance coordination, share resources, and amplify impact.
• Facilitating livelihood and skill development of survivors: Facilitating livelihood and skill training to earn livelihood through various income generating activities including entrepreneurship is very much required to make the survivors independent and also to live a life with dignity. The centre would facilitate the support in collaboration with Govt agencies like Odisha Livelihood Mission, other schematic support and also linking them with different Training Institute of skill development.