Diya Foundation

Diya Foundation is dedicated to empowering people with intellectual challenges through comprehensive education in life skills and employability skills. The NGO’s vision is to foster a future where people with disabilities and their families live with dignity, pride, and confidence, and operate with love and respect. The focus is to enhance the quality of life by equipping them with essential skills for self-dependence, building robust support systems, and raising community awareness. Training in personal grooming and hygiene, household and financial management, social skills, and occupational and employability guidance are provided.

Major Interventions:

Skill Training: Diya foundation focuses on providing comprehensive life skills training tailored to each individual's strengths, fostering self-dependence and confidence. It follows a person-centered approach, helping people with intellectual challenges master activities of daily living, including personal, household, and financial management. Training emphasizes punctuality and the ability to navigate commuting and transportation effectively. Personal safety, self-advocacy, and self-determination are crucial components, ensuring individuals understand how to protect themselves and make informed decisions. Additionally, psycho-social skills are developed through self-awareness training, recognizing personal strengths, and learning to handle feedback constructively. Therapies such as art therapy, rehabilitation counselling, and physiotherapy are also conducted to further enhance growth and self-reliance.

Employment Services: The NGO offers sheltered services where individuals receive in-house training in various skills, such as cooking and baking for roles in the hospitality sector, block printing for self-employment or the textile industry, and car washing for corporate spaces. It trains individuals in graphic design, photo editing, video creation, and more. While some may develop the ability to work independently, ongoing support and mentoring ensure they meet daily targets and maintain product quality. Through partnerships, participants gain internship opportunities with corporate partners, often leading to employment in roles such as food and beverage service or housekeeping. This collaborative approach, involving staff, parents, and beneficiaries, maximizes the success of the employment transition for people with disabilities.

Family Counselling: Family sessions address topics suggested by parents, such as healthy eating, managing fear and anxiety, and behaviour modifications. The ‘Math N Money’ short-term course includes pre- and post-assessments and introduces financial concepts through creative, practical activities using everyday experiences and household items to increase proficiency.