Southern Handicapped Association

Our services : 

• Normal Basic Academy (3-9 years)
• Normal Basic Academy (10-12 years)
• Normal Basic Academy (14-16 years)
• Normal Basic Academy (15-20 years)
• Pre-primary unit, primary academy centres and Special Education Needs workshop
• Techno pedagogy & innovative learning (digital classrooms)
• Physio & Occupational Therapy
• Severely Handicapped Class (Leisure activities, SEN Resources Development Centre at Rivière des Anguilles)
• Plaine Magnien Staff & Students (Open since March 2012)
• Pre-vocational training (embroidery, basket making, painting, sewing and other crafts)
• Therapeutic and leisure garden

Our areas of curriculum : 

• Daily Living Skills
• Communication and language skills
• Socialisation
• Basic Educational skills
• Creative art and leisure activities
• Pre-vocational skills
• Civism and human values
• Fine motor development
• Recreational Motor Development

Southern Handicapped Association was established in 1985 and at that time the Managing Committee comprised of the only ten volunteers members who were elected annually during a General Assembly. Without forgetting that it was the only handicapped association found in the south of the island.

At that very beginning some sport and cultural activities were organized on and off. In 1990 a survey was carried out between the coastal villages of Souillac and Baie du Cap where it was found that there were many handicapped children in these regions who were left to themselves.

This consequently led to the opening of a Day Care Centre for these handicapped children at Souillac. A religion body helped us by letting us a building for classroom purposes. Later on, the American Embassy purchased some pieces of furniture and school materials for our students.

At the same time, the United Way helped us with the salaries of two teachers, the MSS and NCRD also helped us with other major expenses.

In 1997, our student’s population increased as more students came from the regions of Riviere Des Anguilles, Tyack, Camp Diable and L’escalier. There definitely was a lack of space as our first building could not accommodate all these students and we thus had to move to Surinam.

There, with the collaboration of the School of the Deaf, a special teaching class was set up and a new teacher was recruited for the deaf students.

In the year 2000, a new building was erected at Surinam at our present address - Southern Handicapped Association Special Educational Need School Day Centre, Coastal Road, Riambel, Surinam. It comprises of an office, a waiting room, three classrooms and some amenities. We are thankful to Trust Fund for social and vulnerable groups and to the NGO Trust Fund, the United Way, the School of the Deaf, Rotary Club of Mahebourg and other funders that always support us. Without them, there would not have been the existence of this new building.

In 2002, with the help of the Fondation Espoir and Development, we set up our “Atelier Protégé” where the young handicapped, after completing pre-primary and primary courses, were given intensive training in the handicraft sector. Our students are now able to make baskets of all sizes, trays, dustbins, and jute bags. Today we have a “Boutik Artisanal” to market our products.

Since January 2004, we have started working in close collaboration with the C.B.R and the EU Decentralized Co-operation. In 2005, we also set up a Special Needs School which was registered by the Ministry Of Education. In 2009, we were affiliated to the CSR.

In the year 2010 on the occasion of our Silver Jubilee, we opened a pre-primary unit still being the first one in the south. Due to increase of children in our school at Riambel, we opened a new branch at Plaine Magnien in 2012 to serve the children coming from Vieux Grand-Port, Mahebourg, Rose Belle and Nouvelle France.

We currently cater for about 40 children aged 5 to 20 years old. Our staff consists of 5 teachers and 2 assistant teachers. Our heartful thank to Innodis, Foundation Nouveau Regard, Shanti Maurice and A.M.L which are still sponsoring us to stand with our projects. We are also introducing Information and Technology for our students. At the present moment we are caring for about ninety handicapped persons aged between 4-35 years.

We are really grateful to all the bodies which always support us, especially the Bio Culture Mauritius Ltd one of the main sponsors, together with MACOSS, with public collection and other well wishes.

One main priority for the incoming year is to have a specialized room with qualified carers with all the necessary comforts for the severely handicapped children. For the others, we wish to have a vast playground where they can relax and play during their precious time because television time and extracurricular activities are carefully considered against other activities.

In Mid 2013, we introduced a new therapy room equipped with appropriate equipment financed by State Bank. Finally still on 2013, we have got a new plot of land annex to our school where we will have our therapeutic garden which will be ready sooner.

In 2014, the SBM financed the Occupational Therapy Room and its equipments in the welfare of the severely handicapped children. Moreover, we have also implemented a Lab-Techno Pedagogy sponsored by the MCB Forward Foundation in 2014, where new technology is being used to upgrade the knowledge of our children with disabilities.

The DCP financed the association with an amount of Rs 2,245,000 for the acquisition of 16 seater Toyota van and specialized wheelchairs for the severely handicapped children. The upcoming project will soon be realized this year (2015) by the Telecom Foundation with an amount of Rs 290,040 for a project of Therapeutic equipment for children with severe physical disabilities (Cerebral Palsy).

We inaugurated the school at P.Magnien in the presence of Honourable Mr. Purmanund Jhugroo, Honourable Mr. Joseph Hugo Thierry Henry and Honourable Mr. Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram.

The same MCB Forward Foundation project has been approved at Plaine Magnien’s branch for our children to benefit from the technology in February 2016 for the sum Rs 319,000.

In July 2016, Innodis Foundation Ltd financed the salary of our occupational therapist for the sum of Rs 100,000.

In mid August, we were given a class by the Ministry of Education for seven severely children at SEN-Resource Development Centre at Riviere Des Anguilles.

Our motto is to help these students to become good citizens because
There is time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven

Tous les enfants atteints de difficultés intellectuelles doivent avoir accès à l'éducation et trouver leur place dans la société, notamment en étant le plus indépendant possible.

Financeurs privés, grants de l'Etat

Nombre de bénéficiaires : 125 bénéficiaires actuellement