Stichting Mentaid India
| Weberstraat 13 6164 CC Geleen |
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| Tel | : | 046 - 475 52 62 |
| Gsm | : | 06 - 1322 3593 |
| : | mentaid2003@supermail.nl | |
| Web | : | www.mentaid.nl |
Stichting Mentaid India is an initiative of Ms Irene van den Oever. During her journeys in Asia she had firsthand experience of the life of the poor people specially that of the mentally handicapped. Back home she decided to do something for this group.
She resigned from her job, sold her house and left for Kolkata to join the Missionaries of Charity of Mother Theresa. She served in this organisation for three months. During this period she came in contact with the Mentaid Association.
Mentaid is an association for the development of the mentally handicapped. It is situated at Behala a suburb of Kolkata. The Mentaid Association, founded by parents in 1986, provides schooling for mentally handicapped children, counselling for such students and their parents, vocational training.
They organise events in India to raise funds and generate awareness of the problems faced by the mentally handicapped. They also run a handicrafts center where the students learn various skills.
The Mentaid Association is a great example of what parents and interested professionals can achieve once they get organised. This organisation is affiliated to Mencap, UK from which it receives guidelines and help from visiting specialists.
Ms Irene van den Oever came back to the Netherlands and in August 2000. she established the Foundation Mentaid India. The aim of the Foundation Mentaid India is to create awareness of the problems of the handicapped children in India amongst the Dutch and to raise funds for schooling projects for this group in India. The present fundraising of Euro 300.000 is for building a new school in Behala for the Mentaid Association in Kolkata. Much needed because of the raise of the demand for schooling and lack of room at the present building. In 2004 the first stone will be layed.
The address of the Mentaid organisation in India is:
Stichting Mentaid India
| 17 A Brojen Mukherjee Road Behala Kolkata 700 034 |
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| Tel | : | 033-24 78 95 10 |
| : | mentaid@vsnl.net | |
| Web | : | www.mentaid.nl |
The copyright pf the photo's are with the Stichting Mentalaid.
