Blessed Bonding celebrates its third foundation day in Chümoukedima, highlighting inclusion and support for children with disabilities
DIMAPUR — Blessed Bonding, an NGO working for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, celebrated its third foundation day on the theme “Inclusion Today, Brighter Tomorrows” at LG Hall, CIHSR, Chümoukedima, on Monday.
Speaking as the special guest, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of Nagaland, Tongpang L Jamir, described the completion of three years as a significant milestone for Blessed Bonding and the wider parents’ movement in Nagaland.
“It reflects years of advocacy, solidarity, and collective commitment towards protecting the rights and promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities,” he said.
Jamir observed that parents are often the first and strongest advocates for their children, navigating challenges in education, healthcare, rehabilitation, employment and social participation. He said Blessed Bonding represents the strength of this collective movement.
He stated that a foundation day provides an opportunity to celebrate achievements, acknowledge challenges and renew commitments for the future.
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For an organisation working for persons with disabilities, he said, the occasion serves as a reminder of the need to uphold dignity, equality, empowerment and inclusion.
Emphasising the importance of inclusion, Jamir said it goes beyond allowing children with disabilities to be present in their homes, schools and communities.
He further stressed that preparing children with disabilities for the future cannot be the responsibility of parents alone.
Families, schools, NGOs, government agencies and society must work collectively to ensure access to inclusive education, life-skills training, vocational opportunities, supported living arrangements and long-term care planning.
“Our responsibility is not merely to protect our children while we are here, but to build a society that will continue to accept, respect, and support them when we are no longer here,” he stated.
Jamir also highlighted several initiatives and ongoing efforts of the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, including the HITARTH Scheme, the Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme under the National Trust, accurate enumeration of persons with disabilities, facilitation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding for NGOs, the Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund, district-level disability awareness campaigns, cultural opportunities for persons with disabilities, disability certification and Unique Disability ID (UDID) registration, and the Divyang SARTHI Workshop.
He suggested that Blessed Bonding register with PARIVAAR – National Confederation of Parents Organisations (NCPO), which he described as a major national network comprising more than 300 parents’ organisations across India.
He also encouraged the organisation to include non-parent members to broaden its participation and strengthen its support network.
Earlier, chairman of Blessed Bonding, Anito Kiba, delivered the welcome address and presented a brief history of the organisation.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the general secretary of Blessed Bonding, Schanchamo Yanthan.