Yash Charitable Trust (YCT) was founded in 2014 by Dr. Sushama Nagarkar with the aim of enhancing the quality of lives for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (PwIDD).
These disabilities which are life-long include conditions such as autism, Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy and so on.
YCT provides opportunities for skilling and livelihood and wraparound services based on an individual’s or family’s need. These services may consist of counseling, consultation, ancillary therapies such as music, art-based therapy or DMT, support for finding and retaining employment. We also do sustained advocacy work through seminars, workshops, and sensitization sessions both online as well as offline.
More about Yash Charitable Trust
YCT began its journey in 2014. Once the Trust was established and required compliances taken care of, in 2015, we setup a small kitchen in an old garage space. At the time, we had four beneficiaries as a part of the team that worked to provide a dabba catering service to families and working professionals in the neighbourhood. In this first of its kind supported employment initiative, team members were provided with on-the-job training and work experiences.
The model proved to be enormously successful in more ways than one. The beneficiaries, realising that they were contributing to meaningful outcomes, were very motivated to give their best. Their sense of self and well-being were heightened, and it was a win-win for the entire team that comprised PwIDD and non-disabled staff. Over the intervening months, the word about this initiative spread through local and national media coverage and the team slowly grew bigger. The need to look for other supported employment avenues led to the launch of Café Arpan as the second employment initiative in August of 2018.
Parallel to this supported employment vertical, team members (our beneficiaries were identified as such) and their families were provided with on-going counselling, ancillary therapies, and consultation on an as needed basis. The Adult Support Kendra (ASK) was formalised in 2017. ASK provides support services not only to the team members and their families, but also conducts workshops, seminars and trainings for other professionals, and organisations and offers counselling and consulting services to families outside of the YCT family.
Over the years, as the number of beneficiaries grew there was a need to provide more robust on-the-job training effectively. To meet this need, the Skill Development Centre (SDC) was launched in 2019 where adults who join the YCT team are provided with hard skills and employment readiness skills training to gear them for earning a livelihood.
YCT is a statutorily compliant organisation with all its registrations in order. The Board of Trustees look forward to building a solid infrastructure and some robust systems leading to long term sustainability for all the verticals of all the verticals of skilling and employment as well as counseling and other support services. YCT seeks support and participation from generous individuals and organisations for all its projects on a multi-year basis. This support is needed to build an infrastructure, sustain its operations, create more awareness in the community and help replicate such models to generate more livelihoods for PwIDD who are by far the most marginalised among the disability categories.
About the Founder
DR. SUSHAMA NAGARKAR
Dr Sushama Nagarkar, Managing Trustee, is a parent of an adult with autism. She believes that individuals with developmental disabilities are people first and that their disability does not define who they truly are. However, she is also cognizant to respect those who prefer identity-first language and addresses them as such. She also believes that with the right kinds of support every adult can live a very fulfilling life and be an active contributing member of the community that he or she lives in.
Sushama completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology from St. Xavier’s College and Bombay University. During a 15-year stay in the US, she continued to obtain a Specialist degree and National certification in School Psychology as well as a Doctorate in Special Education. She has been a registered Rehabilitation Psychologist with the Rehabilitation Council of India. Besides working for several years in the public school system in the US, Sushama had been a member of various professional organisations and been involved in advocacy work at the local and state level. Sushama has taught undergraduate and graduate level classes in special education for universities in the US. She works with families and different non-governmental organisations in Mumbai, Pune, and Bangalore.
Sushama considers herself to be a life-long student of Yoga and she continues to be a learner in many other ways. She enjoys the mountains, reading, travelling, and meeting people.
VISION
To provide opportunities for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live and work in the community of their choice with dignity and self-respect.
MISSION
To provide individualized skill development, training, and livelihood opportunities through the Skilling & Supported Employment Project (SSEP).
To provide counselling, consultation, ancillary therapies, employment support services (ESS) for the open market, advocacy, trainings, workshops, and all other wrap-around services through the Adult Support Kendra (ASK).
CORE VALUES
Our core values of Acceptance, Inclusion and Empowerment are the fundamental beliefs that underlie our work, how we interact with each other and what strategies we employ to fulfil our mission.
The value of acceptance allows us to accept reality, ourselves, and others as the way each of us truly is. Acceptance is not something that can be forced. It just is. And being accepted for oneself, as diverse as each of us is, has shown to positively affect self-esteem and well-being. By accepting diversity, we find ourselves growing both intellectually and spiritually. Acceptance is a gift that gives back. It helps us to treat another with the same degree of respect that we would like to be treated.
And while to accept someone is to acknowledge differences and say it is okay; to include someone is to intentionally pursue ways to make them feel welcomed, heard, and valued. Inclusion creates a supportive energy and commitment from others. There is a sense of belonging. Every person is respected and feels essential to the success of the organisation.
By adopting a core value of empowerment, we are helping our team members, our beneficiaries find their voice and express themselves. We believe in everyone’s capabilities to be independent, to make decisions in a way that helps them do their work to the best of their ability as well as create an enriched life for themselves.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
A wonderful set of very diverse individuals comprises the Board of Trustees.
These are individuals who have unflinchingly volunteered their time and efforts to take on these special responsibilities.
Their varied talents and expertise bring an enriched perspective to the activities of Yash Charitable Trust.
ASHAITA MAHAJAN
About Ashaita
Ashaita Mahajan was born and brought up in Mumbai and graduated with a BA in Economics from St. Xavier’s College. She went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Music Management at the University of Sheffield. Having a passion for music and the performing arts – her professional life has included working in the live entertainment space. She led the Outreach Department at Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts where she was actively involved in promoting arts and culture to young people across the city. In 2017, she decided to shift her focus to working with YCT full-time.
With her collective experience in Music Management, People Management, Event Management, Performing Arts, and Project Coordination, she manages the marketing & communications, branding, partnerships, and fund-raising for the trust.
Her cousin Aarti, who has autism, is her biggest inspiration when it comes to music and learning.
AAKIL MAHAJAN
About Aakil
Aakil Mahajan completed his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and a Certificate Programme in Managerial Analytics from the Kellogg School of Business. Following his graduation he worked in manufacturing with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics in Worcester, USA. He returned to India and worked as an analyst at Ernst & Young before joining Pratham Foundation where he co-led the creation of the Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation function. In 2017, he graduated with an MBA from the IESE Business School in Barcelona. After this, he moved to Amsterdam where he joined Henkel as global purchasing manager. In 2019, he moved to PVH, one of the world’s most admired fashion and lifestyle companies and was responsible for the global sourcing and buying processes and systems. In 2022, he took up a new position with Kraft Heinz, Amsterdam. His other interests include travelling and exploring new places and cultures, football, golf, chess and swimming.
SUSHAMA NAGARKAR
About Sushama
Sushama Nagarkar, Managing Trustee, is a parent of an adult with autism.
Sushama has spent her entire adult working life in similar professions – first as a psychologist and counsellor and then in the realm of special education where she worked as a school psychologist in the public school system in the US.
During the latter part of her stay in the US, she did a two-year administrative stint in the school district coordinating programs for students whose native language was not English working with primarily a large refugee population. Sushama has been an active parent advocate throughout her career. During her brief foray into the field of journalism, she wrote extensively on disabilities in the mainstream media. She also volunteered with parent support groups as a parent mentor.
RAJEEV KAMATH
About Rajeev
Rajeev Kamath is a parent of an adult with autism. He has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras at Chennai.
He was an Asst Professor there for a few years and moved to Mumbai when his children were young in search of an appropriate setting that would optimise his child’s development.
Currently Rajeev is driving the setting up of training, therapy and technology infrastructure for the National Centre for Assisted Living and Skill Development for persons with special needs in Kerala.
SIA MIRCHANDANI
About Sia
Sia is a mother of two children, one of them being specially abled. A commerce graduate from SNDT University with a diploma in IT, she started her association with YCT as a volunteer, later assuming the role of a Trustee.
In 2021, Sia founded HopeStone, an integrated learning centre for children with developmental disabilities.
A talented dance professional with experience in theatre, Sia is also an Advanced Angel Practitioner, practising psychic healing and meditations for the past 10 years. She has her own blog and is an active parent in the disability community, working with specially abled children and adults.
GODAVARI JANGIR
About Godavari
Godavari is a parent of a specially-abled adult who started as a volunteer with the dabba service. A fabulous home-cook, Godavari lends her culinary expertise to ensure that our product and delivery meets our high standards. She volunteers regularly in all of YCT’s programs in addition to sitting on the Board of Trustees.
UMA KULKARNI
About Uma
A medical professional by training, Uma is an army veteran, ex-CEO of a Section 8 company and now an Organizational Development Consultant. As a certified Six Sigma Black Belt holder, she strongly believes in continuous quality improvement.
Dr. Uma Kulkarni is a valuable addition to the Board of Trustees. At YCT, she works extensively towards streamlining and strengthening processes that will help us pursue our vision in a professional way and yet retain our core values.
ADVISORS
We are fortunate and grateful to have on our advisory board, a mix of individuals who have worked for many years
in the world of disabilities and within related fields outside of it.
Collectively they have over 125 years of work experience between them!
The beauty is that they continue to work tirelessly towards bettering lives and make a huge difference
in the lives of every individual they encounter.
DAYANAND N. MANGAONKAR
About Dayanand
Dayanand is the CMD of Dayanand Consultancy Services Private Ltd. (DCSPL), a leading company in the business of providing end-to-end and comprehensive compliance solutions under relevant Labour Laws/Labour Codes.
Dayanand has completed his LLB as well as his Diploma in Labor Laws and Social Legislations from Bombay University.
Dayanand has more than 30 years of experience in Employment Law Advisory Services, along with conducting audits under Labour Laws, frequently handling Labour Law Compliance, setting up of the HR Department of small and medium sized companies, and in the framing of various HR policies.
We are lucky to have him and DCSPL on board in an advisory capacity.
AASHIKA SALUNKHE
About Aashika
Aashika has been in the field of Human Resources since 2007.
Aashika’s strength is in helping organizations through customized talent development initiatives and also facilitating interventions that make organizations performance driven.
SARBANI MALLICK
About Sarbani
Sarbani began her journey of discovery in the field of Special Education in 1997 after a chance volunteering opportunity at a special school close to where she lived. She went on to complete her formal training and over the last 27 years, she has contributed to the field in diverse ways.
She is a strong advocate of Social Role valorization theory and has taken it as a crusade to create valued roles among individuals who are vulnerable, and a world where “everyone has a place and that place is honored” using Person-centered approach.
NOSHIR DADRAWALA, CAP
About CAP
The Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy (CAP) provides timely advisory services in matters concerning laws governing the voluntary sector in India.
The focus of it’s work is around Compliance and Capacity building within the sector.
OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP
AYUSH
KHANDELWAL
KETKEE
BORKAR
KETKI
SANGHAVI
JYOTI
PATEL
OUR SPECIAL TEAM
CONSULTANTS
DR. UMA LADIWALA
ASK Consultant
LEELA RAJ
ASK Lead
DEEPALI APHALE
Finance Lead
TRUDY D’SOUZA
Digital Marketing
Digivolve Solutions
RASHMI RAWAT
Marketing Design
Digivolve Solutions
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Yash Charitable Trust is registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950 and all donations are deductible under Sec. 80G of the Income Tax Act of 1961.
No. E-30485 (MUMBAI) dated 9-7-2014.
Yash Charitable Trust is registered under Section 11 (1) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.
Registration Number: 083781651 dated 16-12-2019.
