Inclusion at Shishur Sevay
Inclusion “happened” at Shishur Sevay. It wasn’t planned; it wasn’t a theory beforehand. It just happened. In a small house, suddenly with twelve traumatized previously institutionalized girls, some with disabilities there was neither room nor reason to separate the younger girls with severe disabilities (the four not expected to live very long) from the abled girls who seemed eager to be with them. The children taught us about inclusion. Over time it became clear they needed each other. The older girls, who had all lost family and siblings, mothered their new sisters with disabilities. And the little ones blossomed and smiled in return. The presence of the younger ones made Shishur Sevay more of a family with strong bonds among the children.
The Idea – De-institutionalization of orphan and disabled children and creation of inclusive family style group homes. Shishur Sevay is the best practices model of inclusive non-institutional care for lost and abandoned girls, some with profound disabilities, all of whom had already been rejected for adoption.