Education of physically challenged girl children
This was not a regular donor programme. It was internally funded and implemented in response to the immediate needs emerging from the area of operation.

There was blind school in Nandyal. This was suddenly closed due to withdrawal of the German donor – CBM (Christopher Blind Mission). On the request of the Hostel Warden of the Blind School, BIRDS adopted two girls, for their food and school fees. BIRDS has been supporting them since 2003, which continued during the reporting period.

P. Swarnalatha aged 9 years daughter of P.Shesha Reddy resident of Peraipally in Allagadda mandal in Kunool district, was a deaf and dumb girl. Her parents were very poor and living on daily labor wages and having big family. Upon inquiry at the Navajeevan School for the Deaf (Nandyal town), they found that it was very expensive to join their daughter in the school.

School authorities expressed their inability to give free education. Parents of Swarnalatha then approached the local government officer (MDO, Allagadda) who in turn directed them to BIRDS for support of the child. BIRDS has responded positively and started to support for her special education and food charges, since 2003, which continued during the reporting period. Swarnalatha is now in 5th class.

Destitute Pension Scheme (DPS)
Huge number of old age people in the rural areas and they are affected due to shortage of food, shelter and cloths. In case of the families who frequently migrate for search of work leave the old and children in the villages, exposing them to the wrath of hunger and sickness. Taking note of such occurrences in its operational area, BIRDS started the destitute pension scheme (monthly), to meet food expenditure, apart from expenses in emergencies. BIRDS has done a quick study to see how many of them need such kind of support. BIRDS found that the support of the government on old age pension is very limited and all of them are unable to access.

As start up BIRDS has selected around 71 members in Rudravaram mandal who are very poor, aged, destitute, widows, physically challenged to give benefit of the DPS, during the reporting period. List of persons to whom the DPS is extended is furnished as below