BUDS institutions are the most humane and charitable among the many alternatives that the State has created, Minister for Local Self-government M.B. Rajesh`has said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the State-level BUDS Day celebrations at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village, Vellar, near Kovalam, on Wednesday.
The Minister said the BUDS institutions were an excellent Kerala model. Nowhere else in the country could one find such an arrangement implemented with active participation of the State government or its agencies. It could be expanded to other parts of the State.
The first BUDS Day observed on Wednesday, August 16, would be a memorable day in the history of BUDS institutions run by the Kudumbashree in association with Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs). It was on August 16 that the first BUDS school started functioning at Venganoor grama panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district in 2004.
The BUDS Day announcement and the BUDS Week celebration in the run-up to it were aimed at making the BUDS institutions more popular and bringing intellectually challenged children into the mainstream of society. The day also aims to attract more children to BUDS institutions and provide mental support to parents.
As part of the BUDS Week celebrations from August 9 to 16, various programmes were organised in all BUDS institutions across the State.
At present, BUDS institutions function in 359 LSGIs. There are 167 BUDS schools for children up to 18 years of age and 192 BUDS rehabilitation centres for those above 18 years of age. Vocational and livelihood training is given priority in rehabilitation centres. As many as 11,642 people are supported in daily living and rehabilitation and given job training through the BUDS institutions. A special livelihood scheme involving parents of children in BUDS institutions is also implemented. As many as 495 teachers and 622 caretakers are employed in BUDS institutions.
The Minister also released the logo and tagline of BUDS and inaugurated the ‘Sajjam’ programme to train nearly one lakh Balasabha members in recognising and dealing with natural calamities.
Kudumbashree Executive Director Jafar Malik explained the project, while Sekhar L. Kuriakose, member secretary, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, released the Sajjam handbook by handing it over to the Minister.
