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ANBAGAM, the Home of Love and Friendship, was founded in Madurai, INDIA,
in1970 by Dr. Manuel A. Thangaraj and his wife, Mrs. Mary Thangaraj, with the
help of concerned citizens, the Governments of India and Tamilnadu and International
Relief Agencies. It was inspired by Suresh Bernard Thangaraj, their mentally retarded
son (who was born with Downs' Syndrome), and by the great need for such an
institution in Madurai and surrounding areas. ANBAGAM is governed by an inter-faith
Governing Council with representation from several communities.
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To serve the mentally handicapped children and promote their full development, irrespective of race, caste, creed and community
To train these children in the practical activities of daily living and help them become useful citizens
To provide a home for unwanted or destitute children who are mentally retarded
To train personnel for services to disabled children with special needs
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ANBAGAM has been helping mentally retarded children through three streams:
Educating them in the ANBAGAM Special School, from age 5 onwards, using appropriate teaching methods and curriculum.
Providing Hands-on workshops and vocational training in Dairy and Poultry farming, Printing Press, Carpentry, Sewing, Weaving, etc.
Training teachers in Special Education in SBT College. The teachers get hands-on experience at ANBAGAM and once they graduate, go on to teach disabled children at other institutions.
At present, there are 155 children enrolled in the school:
48 day scholars and 107 boarders.
98 of the students pay fees ranging from Rs 60 to Rs. 500 per month,
based on the financial situation of their family.
The others are supported through grants and charitable donations.
ANBAGAM has been given the 80G exemption by the Govt. of India, which makes
donations tax deductible (50%), as per the 80G rules.
It costs Rs. 500 ($12) per month to support a child at ANBAGAM.
The fees charged only cover a portion of the cost, and the rest has to be made up
through donations, grants and income from vocational programs.
Against an annual recurring expenditure of Rs. 25 lakhs, the fees collected are
only Rs. 3 lakhs.
ANBAGAM, SBT College and its founders have won several awards and have received
national and international recognition for their efforts. Details are provided on the
AWARDS page. Highlights of the awards include the Shree Ratna award,
Rama Kamal Sinha Memorial Medal, State Award for Best teacher, State Award for
Service to the Mentally Retarded, Rotary Award, Nimbakar Award, Rehabilitation
Council of India award for Special Education and Rolling Shield for Best Institution
for the Disabled. ANBAGAM children have also won several medals at the State
Level in the Special Olympics for the Disabled.
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© Note that all content on this website belongs to ANBAGAM,
and may not be reproduced without permission.
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