“Buddeez” was founded by Ami Mehta Kothari and Shalini N Kedia, two Mumbai residents and educators who saw a need for children with special needs in the region to be given the chance to have fun and make friends, something that many with autism find challenging. Ami asserts:
“Working with special needs children over the years made me realise that they do not have interaction with other people, except for their siblings and parents. I cannot imagine life without having friends, so I felt we needed to do something about it.”
The program itself involves high school seniors from BD Somani School volunteering for approximatley 1 hour sessions where they engage in various activities including playing board games, visiting parks or simply going to a shopping mall.
The sessions, which 4-5 of the students who have received instruction regarding the activities the special needs participant enjoys or has an aversion to, have proven to be beneficial for both parties. As a result, organizers are looking for more volunteers and are hoping to extend the Buddeez program to other regions including Bandra and Chembur.
Source:Ritika Bhandari Parekh on The Metrognome website: Being buddeez with special children