DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Certificate
This is to certify that Ms./Mr./Mrs. Saba Tasneem Ali
bearing USN JUJULY19MSCPSY000352 has successfully carried out the prescribed

Field Study, in partial fulfillment of the course II M.Sc Psychology, Semester- III.

Examiners:

1. ……………………..

2. …………………….

Date: ……………...………..

Prof. N. Balasubramanya
Dy. Director - ODL
 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

COVER PAGE

Name of the Student : Saba Tasneem Ali

USN : JUJULY19MSCPSY000352

Programme : II M.Sc Psychology, Semester- III

Student Signature :

Date :
 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Ref. No.: JU/CDEVL/Req. Ltr./2020 Date: 23.05.2021

REQUEST LETTER

To,

Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled

11, Samarthanam Bhavan,

1st cross, 17th A main Road,
2nd Phase J P Nagar,
Bangalore -560078

Respected Sir/ Madam,

This is to bring to your kind notice that Ms./ Mr./ Mrs. Saba Tasneem Ali pursuing the course

M.Sc. Psychology at the Center for Distance Education and Virtual Learning, Jain (Deemed-to-be University)

The said Students is currently in semester III. As a part of partial fulfillment of the course the students are to

carry out Field Study. It is therefore requested that the student may kindly be allowed to contact you

through telephone to collect the information’s required of your esteemed center / organization.

Should there be any queries, the undersigned may kindly be reached on +91 80 43430400 or
[email protected].

Thanking you in anticipation of your kind co operation.

Yours Sincerely,

Prof. N. Balasubramanya
(Dy. Director - ODL)

www.jainuniversity.ac.in #319, 17th Cross, 25th Main, 6th Phase

JP Nagar, Bangalore – 560 078

Ph: 080 4343 0400, Fax: 080 2653 2730

 Field Study Report

Samarthanam

Trust for the Disabled

Bangalore

By:

Name of the Student : Saba Tasneem Ali

USN Id : JUJULY19MSCPSY000352

Programme : II M.Sc Psychology, Semester- III

 Any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in a manner or within the range
considered normal for the human beings, resulting from impairment is termed as disability.

Disability is prominent in our society and it is important that we live and work in communities that
are inclusive to those with limitations and provide necessary supports to them. As a young adult I have
learned and experienced more about disability than when I was younger. I have gained the most
knowledge about disability through Psychology classes, Someone has very wisely said, “Hard things
are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.” Disabled people are
usually the strongest, most courageous and wonderful people. We must not forget that some of the
most successful people the world has ever seen were physically disabled. People such as Helen
Keller, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, etc. were all disabled.

We must treat disabled people respectfully considering them as able and capable as the
normal people. We must not let them feel as if they are being pitied or discriminated against.Treating
them on par with other normal people will be the best gift we can offer them. We must encourage and
support them in their endeavours to be successful. All they need and require from us is emotional
support and respect. Their struggles, challenges, obstacles they are capable of handling.

I have chosen Samarthan Trust for the Disabled for my field study report because Samarthanam
Trust is a pioneer in empowering people with disabilities and the underprivileged on various Psycho-
socio-economic-cultural fronts.

Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled is a National Award-winning NGO established in the
year 1997 by Founder Managing Trustee Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar and his schoolmate and
childhood friend, Late Sugur Paramashivaiah Nagesh.

Samarthanam,one of the biggest NGOs in India, works for the empowerment of persons with
disabilities and the underserved through its diverse initiatives focused on providing quality education,
accommodation, nutritious food, vocational training and placement based rehabilitation. It facilitates
opportunities to enable persons with disabilities and the underserved to keep pace with the rest of the
society.

Today, Samarthanam Trust stands to be a complete solution provider by supporting education and
livelihood needs of persons with disabilities and those from underprivileged backgrounds. The
organization also facilitates direct livelihood opportunities to hundreds of persons with disabilities and
women in distress through its Social Enterprises. Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), the
cricketing arm of Samarthanam, fosters the game of blind cricket and the visually impaired players
across India.

Vision:
An inclusive society free from discrimination where persons with disabilities become contributing
members, living with dignity and respect.

Mission:
To empower visually impaired, disabled and underprivileged people through developmental initiatives
focusing on educational, psycho- social, economic, cultural and technological aspects.
History:
The history of Samarthanam had begun in 1997 when two visually impaired individuals with a vision
to change the dynamics for people with disabilities in India had come together to lay the foundation for
this pioneer organization.

Since 1997, the organization’s objective and drive started gathering support, leading to the
establishment of Schools, Livelihood Resource Centres, Rehabilitation Centres, Social Enterprises
and a Sports Association for the visually impaired, expanding its services to various geographies.
More than two decades down the road, Samarthanam stands to be the umbrella organization
standing by thousands of people with disabilities, underserved and women in distress.

Samarthanam advocates inclusion, equal opportunities, holistic development of the disabled and
economically underserved.
Organisation Structure:

Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar
Founder Managing Trustee

Mahantesh GK is the Founder Chairman of Samarthanam International, Founder President of Cricket

Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and Former President of World Blind Cricket (WBC).

Mahantesh, born in a farming village, had lost his vision when he was six months old. Despite various
setbacks faced in school and college, a resolve to thrive beyond difficulties and significantly contribute
to the disabled fraternity, did not stop him from moving ahead. He completed MA & M.Phil in English
literature from University of Bangalore and taught for 5 yrs as faculty of English at university Law
College. All through his academic career Mahantesh had scored distinction at every level and
because of his excellent academic record, he was able to execute his ideas without imperfection.

His inspiration and interest was to ensure disabled people receive all possible support to pursue
education and sports equally with their non disabled peers. A vision to empower people with
disabilities and make them completely independent at various levels has led Mahantesh look beyond
the various challenges and conceptualize Samarthanam in 1997, an organization which would cater
to people with disabilities and the underserved.

Mahantesh, a technology follower also advocates on the use of latest technology in all the programs
at Samarthanam. Apart from being a great visionary, Mahantesh is also known for his strategic and
fundraising skills. An ardent traveler, Mahantesh has travelled alone through different parts of the
world.

Mahantesh believes that persons with disabilities should also be considered as agents and
beneficiaries of development, and also need to value their contribution to the general well-being,
progress and diversity of society equality in spite of their disabilities.

Late Sugur Paramashivaiah Nagesh

Founder Trustee
SP Nagesh is the Co-founder of Samarthanam Trust and Founder President for Cricket Association
for the Blind in India (CABI).

SP Nagesh had begun the journey along with Mahatesh GK, Founder Chairman of Samarthanam and
the President of CABI, and played a pivotal role in building Samarthanam. Nagesh has been a pillar of
strength to the organization and its people. His contribution was of high significance in
conceptualizing Samarthanam, working for its initiatives and leading the blind cricket association.
Though partially blind by birth, Nagesh was the major driving force behind initiating blind cricket and
improved the skilling and livelihood training programmes at Samarthanam with his fundraising skills.
He believed in equal rights and wanted people to adopt technology at every step. Nagesh was
instrumental in driving the Skilling programme of Samarthanam.

Nagesh was an avid cricketer himself who believed that blind cricket and the players need utmost
recognition on par with other disability sports. He served as the President for Cricket Association for
the Blind in India (CABI) and played a key role in organizing the first ever T20 World Cup for the Blind
in India (2012). He was the prime person to effort towards the upliftment of Blind Cricket and his
dedication towards popularizing Blind Cricket was remarkable.

SP Nagesh passed away on 24 April 2016. Samarthanam and CABI remembers his efforts put
towards encouraging cricket for the visually impaired and the plethora of tournaments organized
under his administration. His legacy to cricket for the blind and his contributions to the growth story of
blind cricket will not be forgotten.

Vasanti Savanur
Trustee
Vasanti Savanur is the Trustee of Samarthanam Trust, who joined hands with Mahantesh GK and
Nagesh SP to support them with the administration of Samarthanam. An educationalist by profession,
Vasanti has been instrumental in inspiring students with disabilities to excel in their chosen fields of
academics.

Vasanti was a teacher for 15 years who believes that education is the most important tool for an
individual in making successful careers. Vasanti oversees Sunadha, the cultural wing of
Samarthanam, where artists with disabilities are trained in cultural and folk dance forms. Sunadha has
progressed leaps and bounds due to her persevered efforts along with her team.

Sunadha team travelled across many countries and performed on many international stages
garnering acclaim, under the guidance of Vasanti Savanur. She encourages the artists, stands next to
them and helps them deliver the best.

Vasanti Savanur provides practical support to the team in managing the operations and administering
the organization.

Uday Kumar Y Bagunavar

Trustee
Uday Kumar is the Trustee of Samarthanam Trust who is also a passionate sportsperson. His
dedication, passion and hard work of the welfare of people with disabilities helped him join the Board
of Trustees at Samarthanam. Uday Kumar heads the North Karnataka division of Samarthanam.

Uday Kumar is very passionate about sports and the laurels received at the many State and National
level championships are the evidence. He is also a successful track and field athlete. He worked
towards promoting the game of blind cricket in North West Karnataka.

Uday Kumar is a committed individual who is visually impaired and believes that the true potential of a
disabled person is not limited by his disability. He started at Samarthanam with the idea to promote
the organization’s programmes in the Northern regions of Karnataka and support persons with
disabilities from these regions. In the year 2009, Samarthanam was launched in Dharwad with a
Livelihood Resource Centre (LRC) to provide livelihood training to people with disabilities.

Under his leadership, Samarthanam LRCs are up and operational in Dharwad, Belgaum, Gadag, and
Bellary which are pivotal for the disabled communities in North Karnataka.

Buse Gowda S
Trustee
Buse Gowda is the Trustee of Samarthanam Trust who is also a professional classical dancer. Buse
is a visually impaired artist who has been supporting Samarthanam since its inception. He joined
Samarthanam Board of Trustees in 2016 to support the organization with his expertise in arts and
sports.

Buse Gowda a highly acknowledged artist and holds the name “Mayura” for his famous dance
performance on stage. He holds a degree in Bachelor of Arts and is a trained Bharathanatyam dancer
who has delivered over 1000 performances on many stages in India and abroad. His passion for arts
and classical dance is remarkable. Buse Gowda is also a sports enthusiast with interest in chess,
athletics and cricket.

Buse Gowda dedicates his skill and capabilities towards realizing Samarthanam’s vision of building an
inclusive society for people with disabilities and the underserved.
 LEADERSHIP TEAM

Kumaraswamy
Fundraising
Kumaraswamy is the Senior Manager leading the fundraising vertical along with his team. Hailing
from corporate background, Kumar has a rich experience spanning ten years in networking,
fundraising and corporate relations.

Kumar is famously called the ideal manager at Samarthanam for his analytical but amicable
approach. His commitment is largely appreciated and his vivid leadership skills help in incorporating
orderliness in the organization’s structure and operations.

Mallikarjungouda
Human Resources
Mallikarjun leads the Human Resources team at Samarthanam which assists the entire crew across
all Samarthanam centres pan India. Mallikarjun is a passionate individual who has always been into
social work for more than a decade, working for organizations focused on serving society.

Anjanappa Muthappa
Accounts
Anjanappa Muthappa is the Accounts Lead at Samarthanam Trust, and also actively involves in
training the team in understanding accounts and bookkeeping. Anjanappa is an expert Tax Consultant
and Auditor who has worked for over 80 NGOs in the past 24 years.
 Prasanna Kumar
Infrastructure and Transportation
Transportation and Infrastructure verticals at Samarthanam is led by Prasanna Kumar who is an
Engineer with more than 47 years of valuable experience across Production, Marketing, Maintenance
and Training divisions at industry level.

Mrs. Geetha Shankar

Communication and Media
Is a skilled PR, L& D professional and a Life skills coach.Has an MBA in Mass com, is a Master NLP
practioner ( Florida) Dale Carnegie Master Train the Trainer certified,

Certified in Life Skills and Counseling, she has more than 25 plus years of experience in fostering
positive relationships in organisations through Communication, Training, Media, Public Relations. Has
an experience of five years in an NGO as a PRO with special children and Young Adults with multiple
disabilities

Rama Rao VVK

Information Technology
Rama Rao VVK is the lead of the Information Technology division at Samarthanam. Rama Rao is a
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with a rich experience spanning 27 years in the field of IT. For
the past two decades, he has been supporting the IT needs of the organization as a volunteer initially,
and later in 2017, he joined Samarthanam as the IT Lead.
 Sindhoori C Kumar
Volunteering

Born/ raised in Bangalore and studied in a convent that taught her values and principles that polished
and shaped her personality. Schooling gave her exposure to helping people in need which created a
huge passion for social work and pursuing it as a career is a dream come true and completing
Masters in the social work sector from Christ University was definitely an icing on the cake.

Worked with various corporate such as Target, Dell, Godrej and couple more MNCs but her true
passion was to serve people in need and create an impact on their lives, working with Samarthanam
Trust for the Disabled as a Volunteering Lead has definitely fulfilled her bucket list. According to
Sindhoori volunteering has a huge impact on the beneficiaries, in terms of empowering them be it
career guidance, education, health and nutrition and many more aspects of life, being a part of
creating that impact definitely is the most rewarding emotion.

Services & Programs:

Inclusive Education at Samarthanam Residential Schools
Inclusive education is when all students, no matter what the challenges are, are placed inclusive
classrooms suitable to their age while receiving the same instruction, interventions, and supports that
enable them to meet success in the core curriculum as their nondisabled peers. Samarthanam Trust
for the Disabled is an NGO working for child education and advocates the principle that students with
disabilities are as fundamentally capable as their nondisabled peers.

Samarthanam’s motto of inclusivity is greatly emphasized in its establishment of “Barrier-free

Residential School” at HSR Layout, Bengaluru in Karnataka. The school opened its gates to inclusive
education to bring about a sustainable change in the education landscape. Samarthanam facilitates
free education at Primary and High School levels and also offers support for college education.
Samarthanam’s Special School offers education to children with intellectual disabilities. To ensure
holistic development of the students, Samarthanam facilitates free tuition, accommodation, study
support, extracurricular activities, accessible infrastructure, study material in digital format, and so on.

Smart classrooms and expert teaching staff

Completely accessible building

State of the art infrastructure and facilities

Disability sports, music, dance, art workshops and cultural fests

900 + Students

62 % Students with disabilities

500 +Higher education students

 100 + Special children

BARRIER-FREE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

Samarthanam is leading the way in providing superior education facilities to children with disabilities and the
underprivileged through its Barrier-free Residential Schools. Primary and Higher Primary level education is
provided to children with disabilities and the underprivileged at the campus established at HSR Layout in
Bangalore. Samarthanam’s High School with separate hostels for boys and girls is at Hulimavu in Bangalore.

The Schools follow Karnataka State syllabus and are recognized by the Karnataka State Board of Education.
The Schools have a well-equipped barrier-free infrastructure supporting Inclusive Education. With 24/7
security, caretakers, and well-trained teachers, the schools provide a safe haven for the underprivileged, the
children with disabilities, and to the children of single parents while providing quality education. The school
also facilitates free tuition and boarding; study support through volunteers, training in extracurricular activities,
study material in a digital format and so on, ensuring the holistic development of the students.

• All the free residential schools at Samarthanam organize extra-curricular activities, regular study tours,
performances on various platforms, and opportunities for corporate interactions and also for interacting with the
leaders, the influencers, and the policymakers.
• Frequent health checks, pediatrician visits, access to high-quality healthcare facilities, corrective surgeries and
treatments are provided to ensure a healthy lifestyle for the children.
 • Classroom teaching is complemented with regular volunteer visits from various firms to conduct activity based
classes in languages, social science, environmental science, and mathematics helping the students learn better and
improve communication skills.
• The completely accessible school is a green building with RO Water System, Solar power unit and Sewage
Treatment Plant installed. The key features of the building include complete accessibility to address the needs of
the disabled, ultramodern infrastructure with accessible assistive technology, auditorium with meditation hall,
yoga centre, gymnasium and therapy rooms.

SPECIAL SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL

DISABILITIES

Samarthanam also runs a special school for children with intellectual disabilities, equipped with state
of the art infrastructure, teaching and learning aids, facility for physiotherapy and occupational
therapy. Over 100 children with intellectual disabilities are trained in the basic daily activities and
functional literacy making them independent. Qualified special educators, physiotherapist, speech
therapist and care takers ensure holistic development in a secure and friendly atmosphere. The 1:7
teacher student ratio is to maintain individual care and attention. The school is partially supported by
Government of Karnataka.
HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME
Samarthanam supports students with disabilities and socio economically challenged students pursue
higher education in institutes of their choice. The programme helps students streamline their higher
study plans and focus on building a better future. Students are offered end to end support starting
from college enrolment into courses of their choice to practical support in terms of fee, digital audio
books, scribes, tutors and hostel facilities. Academic expenditure is taken care of along with study
material in accessible format for persons with visual and print-related disabilities. Each year,
Samarthanam provides practical support to more than 500 students across nine locations of the
country in pursuing higher education paving way to successful careers. Some of our students, who
have received support from the programme, have completed their study from premier institutions like
IIMs and procured jobs in large corporate companies.

500
STUDENTS SUPPORTED

9
SUPPORT CENTRES IN INDIA

STUDENTS WITH DISABLED 83%

 REHABILITATION
A Home for Women in Distress and the Well-being of their
Children

Swadhara is the Rehabilitation programme by Samarthanam to lend a helping hand to women in

distress. Swadhara Gruh is a home for women who along with their children receive protection and
vocational training, helping them recuperate and become independent. The women beneficiaries are
supported at all times as their empowerment is Samarthanam’s primary motive. Health, nutrition,
medical needs, food, accommodation, vocational training and counseling by experts are a few of the
services provided by Swadhara.

During Covid times, Swadhara proactively has been providing its services to women beneficiaries and
helping them stay safe from the pandemic by counseling on the safety guidelines, precautions to take
and also measures to stay safe during the COVID season.

Currently, the project is providing assistance to women between the age of 18 years and 60 years,
hailing from different parts of Karnataka including widows, women with disabilities, economically
backward and those who witnessed abuse and trauma
 3056
women supported since the inception

60
women counseled to reconcile in one year

200
women and children supported in one year

• Education for kids

• Counseling support
• Placement opportunities
• Vocational training
• Workshops and camps
• Shelter for women

Free Residential Facilities

• Boarding & Lodging
• Medical assistance
• Homely atmosphere
• Financial support for personal expenses
• Social justice
• Security

Free Training
• Computer Training
• Spoken English
• Cooking
• Skill based training like
Making bags, paper and jute products
• Making purse using tetrapak

Eligibility
• Women aged between 18 and 45 Must be in general health condition
• Rehabilitation support to those in need
Working Women’s Hostel
Samarthanam’s Working Women’s Hostel in Bengaluru provides secure residential facility to working
women with disabilities and the underprivileged. The hostel is home for many women employed with
various organizations in Karnataka and girl students pursuing higher education. The hostel receives
support from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability, Government of Karnataka.

Suggestions and Recommendations:

Disability is an important public health problem especially in countries like India. The problem will
increase in future because of increase in trend of non-communicable diseases and change in age
structure with an increase in life expectancy. The issues are different in developed and developing
countries, and rehabilitation measures should be targeted according to the needs of the disabled with
community participation. In India, a majority of the disabled resides in rural areas where accessibility,
availability, and utilization of rehabilitation services and its cost-effectiveness are the major issues to
be considered. Research on disability burden, appropriate intervention strategies and their
implementation to the present context in India is a big challenge.
1. Increase public awareness and understanding of disability. Governments, voluntary
organizations, and professional associations should consider running social marketing
campaigns that change attitudes on stigmatized on mental health issues such as be it autism
and intellectual disability in childhood, adult conditions such as depression, anxiety, substance
abuse, and psychosis or dementia in old age. Involving the media is vital to the success of
these campaigns and to ensuring the dissemination of positive stories about persons with
disabilities and their families.
2. Generating representative community-based data will help to plan and execute appropriate
measures to address the problems of persons living with disability.
3. Strengthen and support research on disability.
 Saba Tasneem Ali <[email protected]>

Samarthanam

5 messages

Volunteer At Samarthanam <[email protected]> Thu, May 27, 2021 at 2:01 PM

To: [email protected]

Hello,

Thank you for your interest, sure we could provide those details apart from which you can log on to our website which is
www.samarthanam.org to get detailed information that you are looking for. For more information you may contact me on the below
number.

Warm Regards,

Sindhoori C Kumar
Volunteer Management 

Samarthanam Trust For the Disabled

Contact number: 9480835954

Saba Tasneem Ali <[email protected]> Thu, May 27, 2021 at 3:01 PM

To: Volunteer At Samarthanam <[email protected]>

Thank you for your response. 

I tried called you

will prepare my report and get back to you
[Quoted text hidden]

Saba Tasneem Ali <[email protected]> Thu, May 27, 2021 at 5:53 PM

To: Volunteer At Samarthanam <[email protected]>

Hi Sindhoori
Please find attached the field study report of Samarthanam.
It was a privilege to have understood this organisation who is so selflessly serving the society and being such a resource to the
society.
I have tried to  present the organisation to the best of my understanding and communication capability. i have covered 2 works in
my study report i.e Education and Rehabilitation.
I Hope I have done justice to the organisation and my Field study report.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

I would be glad if i could get acknowledged for the report.

Thanking You 
Regards
Saba tasneem Ali
[Quoted text hidden]

STFTD- Saba Tasneem Ali -Msc Psy Sem- 3 Field Study 2021 All 3 files - (July 2019 batch).pdf

1535K

Volunteer At Samarthanam <[email protected]> Fri, May 28, 2021 at 3:44 PM

To: Saba Tasneem Ali <[email protected]>

Dear Saba,

I did go through the report and all the points have been covered, the report looks great. Job well done. Hope this helped you
understand our organization better in terms of our work in empowering people who are differently abled. 

Warm Regards,

Sindhoori C Kumar
Volunteer Management 

Samarthanam Trust For the Disabled

Contact number: 9480835954
 [Quoted text hidden]

Saba Tasneem Ali <[email protected]> Fri, May 28, 2021 at 5:11 PM

To: Volunteer At Samarthanam <[email protected]>

Hi Sindhoori

Thank you for your feedback. 

Thanks and Regards 

Saba Tasneem Ali
[Quoted text hidden]