1. ART Based Therapies for the Residents of Sadhana Village

WCCLF as per their work model selected Sadhana Village as their deemed institution for enfolding art in its healing processes. Sadhana Village is a community of adults with developmental disabilities based in Kolwan Valley, 40 kms from Pune. Sadhana Village is an innovative alternative to the drab institutional existence that characterizes many residential centers for the mentally challenged. Though currently there are 20 mentally challenged adults, Sadhana Village is designed to accommodate about 100. Each house in the village is an independent entity. It has around 10 special friends with 3-4 co-workers living with them.

United Way Mumbai supported WCCLF with a grant of Rs 5.64 lakhs for implementing art based therapies in Sadhana Village with the objective of enhancing the quality of life of the residents.

WCCLF selected 3 forms of art therapy to ensure that the residents of Sadhana Village receive holistic experience of art-based interventions. The objective outlined for the program were :

• Social Rehabilitation
• Behavior in community
• Quality of life
• Moving from internal focus to external focus.
• Engage them in physical and mental activity to keep them alert, alive and healthy
• Train the caregivers in using art-based interventions.

The objective outline for each art form were :

Drum Circles :

• Enhancing self expression
• Improving the quality of life
• Allowing group interaction
• Creating a soothing, stress releasing activity
• Encouraging the interested special friends to pick up the skills
• Building community between the special friends and the rural population of Kolvan Valley.

Drama Therapy :

• Social Rehabilitation by giving the special friends a chance to experience different roles and build empathy.
• Teaching simple behavioral skills
• Providing space for growth, expression of self and interaction
• Re-looking at emotional disturbances, negotiating them and resolving them without the use of serious, heavy psychotherapy babble

Dance & Movement Therapy :

• Affecting change in emotions, cognition and physical functioning.
• Focusing on the body and thereby affecting the mind patterns
• Improving health and physical well being
• Enabling self expression
• Enhancing confidence and promoting clearer communication.

The 10 months program commenced in April 2003, sessions were conducted 3 times a week for 10 months. WCCLF has recorded 100% attendance for all it session and has been successful in achieving its objectives. WCCLF has compiled the final status of each special friend in a book titled “Wellsprings”. WCCLF trained 3 facilitators who will work with Sadhana Village for the future.

Details of the expenses incurred 2003-04 :

2. Phase 2, ART Based Therapies for the Residents of Sadhana Village

In order to achieve any therapeutic goals, the special friends of Sadhana village must undergo (thrice a week) therapy sessions in the future. This is very important in order to sustain the pace of their healing. WCCLF proposed that the new facilitator's need to continue their work with the residents of Sadhana Village and therefore they need to pay them honorarium for their work. United Way Mumbai has considered supporting to honorarium of the student facilitators or the next one year to help WCCLF institutionalize the therapies. United Way Mumbai gave a grant of Rs 1.80 lakh, a bare minimum amount to continue the sessions for another year i.e. Rs. 1250*144 for 3 days a week from April 2004 to April 2005.