Akkara Foundation

Akkara Foundation, Bekal was set up on the basis of the need assessment and NHRC‘s Recommendation. The major mission of the trust is primarily to ini Read moretiate medical and psycho-social assistance in the upliftment of physically and mentally challenged individuals.   Kasaragod is one of the 14 districts in the southern Indian state of Kerala . Kasaragod district is the second largest district in the rate of disability in Kerala, according to the 2015 census the total number of disability cases is 35671in the percentage of locomotors disabilities is 30.71% which is high in number followed by Cerebral Palsy (0.47%) and Multiple disability (18.22%). So, by considering this situation the need for a new treatment mode is high in the states of Kerala and Karnataka in order to manage the disability among children. On the basis of the NHRC’s Recommendations on Endosulfan (https://nhrc.nic.in/press-release/nhrcs-recommendations-endosulfan) Indian Government has been recommended to provide a palliative care Centre/hospitals at the remote areas i.e. “As the victims are in large number about six thousand in the small locality of eleven villages namely Kayyur-Cheemeni, Ajanur, Pullur-Periya, Kallar, Panathady, Muliyar, Karadka, Kumbadje, Badiadka, Bellur and Enmakaje, a Centrally Sponsored Palliative Care Centre/Hospital should be established for Kasaragod District and sufficient and effective ambulance services be provided to all physically handicapped or mentally retarded victims with adequate and trained staff. State Government should render all help to establish the said Palliative Care / Hospital. So by considering the NHRC recommendation and 2015 census report, we came to the conclusion of starting up a palliative care unit to help the bed ridden and vulnerable in the community in 2018. A palliative home visit opened the door towards the victims of the Endosulfan tragedy. Individuals suffering from various kinds of neurological and genetic disability have affected the lives of many newborns and their family was brought into concern. Our Chairman Mr. Mohammad Abdul Aziz felt the pain when he personally got to experience the pain and suffering of his niece who was diagnosed with the same . Within a short period of time, she passed away. His committed social service to impoverished communities in his hometown and surrounding villages made him start up a charitable trust- Akkara Foundation, Bekal. Along with groups of expertise professionals, he conducted detailed studies and research and visited various intuitions and organisations like the TRISHLA Foundation in Uttar Pradesh. With their consent guidance and support in 2020 Akkara Foundation Centre of Child Development- an early intervention centre for disability management was set up in a 4.5-acre plot (12000 sq. exclusively for early intervention centre) at the northern core of Kasaragod district for the children below the age group of 10 years. Presently, there are around 55 staff working as an interdisciplinary team consisting of physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, special educators, social workers, doctors, nurses and other supporting staff. Currently, there are more than 1,000 registered cases and around 200 cases reported at the institution on a daily basis.  Now in 2023 Akkara Foundation is able to provide both institutional and non-institutional care to vulnerable in the remotest areas of Kasaragod and South Canara districts of Karnataka. We mainly focused on direct interventions in the areas of Healthcare (mobile healthcare units, Home care &camps; Community psychiatry), Disability management (centre for child development), Age care (helplines, disabled care homes) Livelihoods (Mothers’ -self-help groups; linkages with government schemes), Disaster Response (e.g. covid19 relief response), as well as Advocacy, Promotion and Awareness on rights and policies relating to disabled. Presently we have around 23,810 beneficiaries.

The foundation aims to build an institution with state-of-the-art facilities to give differently-abled individuals a chance to live meaningful and fruitful lives, while also psycho-educating the public about the abilities, limitations, achievements, and needs of disabled persons.

Akkara Foundation was selected as the best institution in the field of disability service in Kerala in 2020, receiving an award from the Minister of Health and Social Justice for implementing projects for the empowerment of differently-abled people.