Shishu Sarothi

Shishu Sarothi

Shishu Sarothi is a Guwahati-based not-for-profit that has been working with children and persons with disabilities since 1987. It started with two children, a special educator, and a group of parents operating from a single room in a family home. Nearly four decades later, it is the most established disability organisation in Northeast India, running services that span early intervention, special and inclusive education, deafblind rehabilitation, vocational training, advocacy, legal support, and professional training. The organisation is based in Birubari, Guwahati, and its reach extends across Assam and all eight states of the Northeast.

Headquarters: Birubari, Guwahati, Assam Founded: 1987 Full name: Shishu Sarothi Centre for Rehabilitation and Training for Multiple Disability Approved by: Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)

Health: Early Intervention Shishu Sarothi screens, assesses, and provides therapies to newborns, infants, and young children up to age six with developmental delays and disabilities. Services are family-centred: parents are trained in home management so that support continues outside clinic hours. Sessions are play-based and child-led.

Regular services run from the Guwahati campus and from Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh. Fortnightly and quarterly outreach extends to Goalpara, Golaghat, Morigaon, Rangia, and Chirang. Over 1,800 children were reached across these locations in 2024-25.

The CBID (Community Based Inclusive Development) Program works in rural and semi-urban areas with no existing services, currently active in Goalpara and Morigaon. Field teams help families access UDID registration, Aadhaar, government schemes, school admissions, and local skill development.

Education

• Centre for Inclusive Education (CIE): Serves around 150 children with and without disabilities. Each student gets an Individual Education Plan and access to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, yoga, and sports. The centre has units for different age groups and functional levels, including a dedicated ASD/ADHD unit. Supported by Azim Premji Foundation.
• Inclusive Education Program: Works with 21 mainstream schools in Kamrup Metro and Karbi Anglong to train teachers in Universal Design for Learning and build community support for inclusion. Supported by Light for the World International and Wipro Foundation.
• SPARSH and Deafblind Regional Centre: The only deafblind regional centre for Northeast India, in partnership with Sense International India. Serves around 60 persons with deafblindness across two Assam districts and trains civil society organisations across all eight Northeast states to identify and support people with deafblindness.
• Vocational Training: A sheltered workshop for students with developmental disabilities above 18 years, covering paper craft, bag making, screen printing, jewellery, painting, and gardening. Students receive a share of proceeds from sales.
• ICT Lab: Basic computer training for students using adaptive software, also offered as a vocational skill for older students.
• Indus Towers Scholarship Program: Higher education scholarships for students with disabilities from Northeast India. Phase 1 covered 198 students. Phase 2 targets 600 students via ssscholarship.org, with partner organisations across the Northeast providing mentoring support.
• English Access Program: Weekend English language sessions for adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those with disabilities. Supported by the US Consulate Kolkata and American Centre.
• Professional Training: RCI-approved diploma courses in Special Education (Multiple Disability) and Community Based Inclusive Education, training professionals and community workers across the Northeast.

Research Shishu Sarothi conducts and supports research to document disability and early childhood realities in Northeast India, building an evidence base for better policies and services.

Partners and funders Azim Premji Foundation, Sense International India, Indus Towers, Light for the World International, Wipro Foundation, US Consulate Kolkata, Rehabilitation Council of India, IGNOU, NEHU, and government bodies across Assam and the Northeast.

Shishu Sarothi covers the full range from newborn screening to adult livelihoods and legal rights, in a geography where very few organisations do this work. Roles span special education, early intervention, therapy, inclusive education, community outreach, legal advocacy, research, and administration. People with backgrounds in rehabilitation, special education, social work, or disability law will find it relevant.

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