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Asha Deepa School for the Blind is residential school for the visually challenged children established in the year 2003 to provide education, rehabilitation, life skills & vocation training skills. Asha Deepa School for the Blind is run under Jeevan Prakash Education Society (JPES). JPES is the dream child of Mr. Sanju Kumar and Mr. Dilip Kumar. Mr Sanju Kumar, Secretary, JPES did his graduation in Agricultural Science from University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad Mr. DilipKumar his younger brother & Miss. Shobha, younger sister are blind by birth. Presence of these two blind persons in his family, he experienced many difficulties faced by them in the society.

Mission:

To provide appropriate education, rehabilitation, intervention, training and advocacy which will lead to awareness, empowerment & employment of people with disabilities with the help & support of trained staff & caregivers and to take measures of prevention, cure and mitigation of disabling conditions with the cooperation of families, communities and beneficiaries.

Since inception, the project is facing three major problems:

a. Few children who are most affectionate to their parents do not turn up once they go to visit their parents. Parents also do not try to push their children to go to school after the visit. Our experience shows that they are most affectionate towards their children. They keep them for longer period with them and a child lost its interest in the school. Many a time, we have to go to bring them back for two reason-one the parents do not have money to travel to school and secondly, they do not want to compromise their day’s wage by travelling to school. To tackle this challenge and to educate parents towards the importance of their children’s education, we, recently have appointed a community organizer.
b. Poor funding base Due to its location, Asha Deepa has countable number of donors. The major fund to Asha Deepa is from Asha for Education. Availability of funds on time remained one of the biggest challenge faced by Asha Deepa so far. However, we are trying to build our funding base from last year. To overcome this problem, we wish to establish a Diary Farm. The income generated through sale of milk and other by product will be used to support Asha Deepa’s operating expenses.
c. Poor Infrastructure : Since inception, Asha Deepa is being run in rented building. Many a time, we were denied a house in posh area. Therefore, we wish to have our own school building over a period of time.

Asha Deepa has had a number of success stories the most notable ones of which are below:

1. "I am one among the five children born to poor parents at Madgi, a tiny village in the Andhra-Karnataka border. I lost my father when I was ten year old. "My mother had to go through a lot of ordeals to bring us up. I was identified by Asha Deepa survey worker and they convinced my mother to put me in the s chool. There was huge resistance from my other elder siblings and relatives. But I was interested to go out of my village where I can do something. I was feeling loneliness in the home. I never had any hope in the life. I thought my life is going to be more terrific as I grow. I have been bought to school in the year 2003. I started learning Braille and other life skills. It was fun for me. I never thought that I can read & write a book like normal person. Thanks to Louise Braille’s innovation of Braille technique. Now, I am more confident than before. I am also learning classical music in the school"

2. "Indarjeet is my second son and is blind since birth. My life took a lot of twists and turns when I came to know that I have a child who cannot see. I had to handle his temper tantrums, daily routine like bathing and feeding. My husband died when Indarjeet is three year old leaving us to start a fresh life elsewhere. But for me this kuccha, the thatched roof is my home. Poverty here is a way of life. Two meals a day is a challenge we wake up to. You may think that amidst so much dirt, disease and death, the life of my child may mean less. But it is not so, you know. Even amidst this poverty, this difficulty, I have hopes for my child. But I was always worried that how he lead an independent life? A representative from Asha Deepa School for the Blind had reached me saying that they can help my child to go to school, learn life skills etc. But I was not ready to send him. I was afraid. I had many questions to be answeredhow can he stay without me? Who will take care of him? Who will feed him? And what is he going to do in the school when he cannot see? But they never give up. They made repeated visits. Finally I left indarjeet at asha deepa in 2006. He has been staying in the school from last four years learning basic life skills along with education. He knows how to read and write in Braille. Now, he doesn’t need my help anymore in cleaning and washing. He knows how to walk around on the street using the cane stick. People in the neighborhood have begun to look at Indarjeet and me with a new found sensitivity"

3. My parents are a daily wages labor in agriculture field. They work day and night. Between my father and mother, they barely make Rs 35-50 a day. Amidst all this I was the different one with no sight in my family. I was born as a blind by birth. Because of my disability, the neighborhood children ridiculed me every time I stepped out of the house. And it hurt. At home, my family had no expectations of me and it hurt even more. But things are so different now. Thanks to Asha Deepa School for the Blind , they brought me to the school. Ever since I came to school, my world changed. I started learning alphabets in Braille techniques through touch and feel method. Whenever I go to my village on summer vocation, I talk to the neighborhood children who ridiculed me. Now, the children don't mock me anymore. I feel so much more confident now even if I have to speak with strangers. Now I have courage to dream. I will become a teacher and teach other visually challenged.

No. of Children:

Asha Deepa was started with three blind children in three room rented building. As of now, more than 60 children are being enrolled (15-20 children are on and off). More than 25 adult blinds have been trained in various skills.

No. of Staff:

There were two staffs in the school in the year 2003-04. Today there are 10 staff and five volunteer works for the school.

Vision 2015:

Reach and rehabilitate 100 visually challenged children within the age group of 4-15 years Train 50 adult visually challenged in vocational training so as to prepare them to be self sustainable. Construction of school campus to accommodate 50 boys & 50 girls with all basic amenities.

These are the main goals:
• To start integrated school where normal and visually challenged children study.
• To provide 100 goats to parents of visually challenged in our operational area.
• To establish a dairy farm with 100 cows under the name & style as "Asha Dairy Farm"
• To become a premier organization for rehabilitation and education of visually challenged children in the northern part of Karnataka.