Awardees

Citation

Mrs. Sridevi Prasad was a warrior from the moment she was born. Brought up in a conservative joint family, a young Sridevi fought her way out of a system where the girl’s education and freedom always took a backseat. With a single-minded determination, she made education her motivation and went on to stand first in class each year.

At the age of 20, she had her first interaction with a special needs child while working as an assistant teacher. She was inspired to pursue qualifications to help more such children. While pursuing a postgraduate degree in psychology she interned at The Sweekaar Academy (previously The Hyderabad Special School) and immersed herself in the rehabilitation of children with special needs as a teacher for over 10 years. While teaching at Sweekar, Sridevi also met her future husband.

The year 2000 saw Sridevi take on a challenge that she pledged her life to forever. She set up Shankar Foundation, to support people with special needs through quality rehabilitation from childhood to old age. With financial help and support from family and friends, she started with four children in 2000, and in the last 24 years has equipped over 1,200 children and adults with therapy, education, vocational and transitional training, employability and independent living.

Working alongside industry experts and visionary parents to empower children and adults with special needs, Sridevi’s endeavour is to encourage the individual to unfold their potential. She is doing this through three distinct programmes.

Shraddha-Saburi is their centre for designed curriculum education where interactive learning techniques are used to teach not only language and literacy but also problem solving, communication, drawing, photography, computers, etc to help students in both their creative and physical development.

Samardh-Saakaar is the centre for creating employment where adults aged 18 to 30 are given pre-vocational, vocational and hands-on training to help them develop skills to enter the mainstream workplace.

Sannidhi-Swanthana is a residential facility where wards learn to manage their own life, develop social skills by interacting with other residents and prepare for adulthood. It also provides geriatric services and space for the families to stay with the residents.

Supported by these three programmes, several have found employment with leading companies such as Wells Fargo Bank, Tata Advance Systems and LTI Mindtree; while others are making a dignified living with organic produce, soaps and other handicrafts. Sridevi also helps her residents find financial aid and support services where they are looked after even in the event of the loss of their parents or caregivers.

Her work has been recognised in both India and abroad. Shankar Foundation has received special appreciation by former President Late APJ Abdul Kalam. In 2017 the government of Sri Lanka invited Sridevi and 65 students to participate in a collaborative cultural event in Colombo. Sridevi was invited to script a curriculum for special needs under British Council’s Connecting Classrooms program and has also worked alongside Nottingham University in the UK to develop Sensory Motor and Remedial Training to prepare young children for mainstream education. She is presently representing India as a participant in North Carolina Hamilton College’s development of their One World, One Curriculum. In India, she has worked with government programs like Sarva Sikha Abhiyan to train teachers working in government sectors.
The Trustees of the Yudhvir Foundation are proud to honour Mrs. Sridevi Prasad with this award for her uncompromising commitment to quality rehabilitation services and empowering the lives of people with special needs. They admire her personal resolve and enthusiasm, wish her every success and hope she will inspire many others to emulate her.