Mangaldeep Vidya Mandir was established on 1 July 1998 in Almora for spreading awareness about the education of children with special needs. The school endeavours to bring them into the mainstream by making them self-reliant. Efforts are made to identify disabilities and design specific programmes for each student. A wheelchair-accessible building has been constructed with an extended range of vocational projects that will serve to revive Kumaoni crafts, such as clay-modelling and the making of traditional sweets. Looms and sewing machines have introduced new vocations to students above 18 years of age.
Since 2010, the Dayal Trust has provided staff salaries, apparatus for vocational training (such as weaving looms) and student scholarships. Several children from the school now earn their own livelihood due to the high quality of education they received at Mangaldeep.
Some of Mangaldeep’s students have excelled at the International Special Olympics, winning gold, silver and bronze medals for India! Special mention must be made of Rakshita Pant (2002), Raju Kanwal (2011) and Archana Joshi (2011).
Associated with the Dayal Trust since 2010.
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Hardworking students making mufflers, stoles and shawls
A classroom in Mangaldeep, Almora
Trustees with Manoramaji (centre), founder of Mangaldeep