After 4 years of journey of Towards Inclusion project, officially completed its period of operation in Feb 2016. The project supported by PACS had a special focus on access to livelihood for people with disability, excluded groups and women through MGNREGA, and inclusion of children with disability in mainstream schools. The (PACS) program celebrated with a three-day closing ceremony "PACS Inclusion Utsav "in Bhubaneswar from 4-6 February 2016. The Inclusion Utsav was attended by community leaders, representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), government officials and decision makers from the Government of Odisha, and it gave ample opportunities for stakeholders in the program to share ideas and experiences, while making way for discussions about the future for sustaining the good work initiated by PACS in the State. Shri Mahendra Kumar Mallick - State Project Director for OPEPA - appreciated the fact that communities have now started acting responsibly in terms of education. Where on one hand the success and achievements of PACS project were discussed, the upcoming challenges and responsibilities were also borough into attention. Ms. Sneha Mishra, secretary aaina highlighted the need for providing facilities that encourage all children to come to school. "When we talk about retention of students, there is a difference in the data provided by different agencies," she said. "It has to be considered that a physically challenged student will never go to school if there is no ramp for them."
A book of case studies, "Challenging the Challenges" on few of of the beneficiaries from two of the remotest districts of India (Boudh & Kandhamal) was inaugurated in the occasion
Towards Inclusion Project of Aaina officially completed.
