Mrs. Swati Mahendra Mohite is the founding trustee of AAI DAY CARE at Pen, Raigad, Maharashtra. Her daughter Chaitali was born with cerebral palsy. The family transformed the challenging situation into opportunities for many children with special ability. It started with Swati doing BEd in special education. Today, Aai Day care has a 4-floor fully equipped building that houses a 40-bed residential facility for male and female special need students, a daycare school, and 1000 sq ft vocational training and production centre. Although the State Government has given license on ' permanently non-grant ' basis, a 32 member staff is employed to take care of 68 students, 12 of whom are hostel inmates. Aai day care vocational training and production facility creates earthen decorative lamps, candles, artificial flowers, jewellery, paper and cloth bags, Rakhis, saree folders etc which are sold at stalls at malls, schools, handicraft exhibitions and the sale proceeds are proportionally credited to bank accounts of the students so that they can develop self respect, economic self reliance and earn a sense of responsibility towards their families. Aai Day care staff addresses sensitisation sessions at schools and community events and visits other schools to give vocational training as well. Swati appeals to people and organisations to support Aai Day Care financially by contributing to expenditure on salary, purchase of educational material, equipment, raw material for production facility, grocery and other consumables for hostel kitchen, office equipment, educational aids like interactive boards,sport equipment and most importantly, sponsorship for tuition and transport fees of needy students. She adds that she will be very happy to receive support for the fees of the doctors, psychologists, therapists, and counselors "I have been striving for the last 15 years to do as much as possible to make the lives of my children secure and meaningful. I feel satisfied each time I see their brimming faces as they earn trophies at sport and cultural competitions, tell a coherent story, and present delightful dance and song performances at aaidaycare" says Swati Ecofriendly Initiatives stands to support Aai day care in their stitching unit, especially the products made from textile waste. A group of seven parents came together and established Aai Day Care Centre at Pen on June 15, 2010. and they have been trying to create employment for special need children. Repurposing old clothes to bags and utility items is one of their initiatives. Ecofriendly Initiatives support Aai day care in this journey. 3 machines through CEC grant are with aaidaycare to convert textile waste into bags and utility items. One machine is for Ecofriendly initiatives. We have donated 2 sewing machines that we received through CEC grant.

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