What we do
Investing in systemic change—Building India’s most inclusive community-led care model.
Mitra for Life is a nonprofit building community-led systems of therapy, holistic healthcare, and inclusion for children and youth with developmental disabilities. We listen, co-design with families and schools, and make support part of daily life—not a distant destination.
We design care around real lives.
What we Believe
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Proximity changes outcomes. When help is close to home and school, practice is frequent and progress sticks.
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Parents and teachers are co-therapists. With the right tools, everyday moments become therapy.
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Inclusion is learned by doing. Confidence comes from safe, real-world practice—cafés, classrooms, stages.
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Small pilots → scalable systems. We prototype, iterate, and then formalize what works.
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Dignity first. People, not labels. Consent, privacy, and safeguarding are non-negotiable.
How we work
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Start at the doorstep: Intake in the therapy van, village camp, Block resource centre of the Government; set 2–3 functional goals that fit real routines.
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Deliver care locally: Speech, OT, PT, Special Education, Counseling, and Holistic healthcare via mobile clinic routes and village camps.
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Build local capacity: Train parents, mother-mentors, and social workers to deliver therapy and ongoing support.
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Measure & adapt: Track simple goals at every touchpoint; adjust to farm seasons, travel, and family schedules.
Our model, applied in two contexts
​Urban: Opportunities to thrive
Care embedded in or near special schools so it’s affordable and accessible; teachers and parents are coached to carry skills into every day. Youth programs create structured, supported peer experiences and a welcoming community.
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Rural: Care at the doorstep
Mobile therapy, community camps, and home programs reduce travel to near-zero; we tie up with government systems and train local caregivers to fill gaps and sustain follow-ups.
Where we’re headed
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Stronger health: predictable screening days, on-site clinics, and better health outcomes.
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Mother-mentor networks: community capacity for daily supports in villages and low-income urban areas.
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Youth inclusion at scale: more peer cohorts, opportunities to thrive.
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Data you can trust: goal-based plans, transparent dashboards, and rigorous safeguarding.
