Sunderji’s Global Academia Celebrates 30 Years of Inclusive Education‘We don’t want charity, we want employment opportunities’; Academy aims to make Pune India’s first ‘Neurodiversity City’

Sunderji’s Global Academia Celebrates 30 Years of Inclusive Education

‘We don’t want charity, we want employment opportunities’; Academy aims to make Pune India’s first ‘Neurodiversity City’

Pune: Sunderji’s Global Academia (SGA) celebrated 30 years of promoting inclusive education and empowering children with special needs at a special programme, Beyond the Spotlight, held at Symbiosis Ishanaya Auditorium, Viman Nagar, Pune.

Founded by the late Jenaben Sunderji, Malekben Sunderji and Zarinaben Sunderji, with Masarrat Tavawalla as co-founder, the institution has been working to provide education, therapy, skill development and opportunities for independent living to children with special needs and neurodivergent children.

Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, founder of the DHI & CODS Foundation, and Priyanka Kaul Lakdawala, founder of Soulcore and co-founder of the DHI & CODS Foundation, were the chief guests. Zarinaben Sunderji, Masarrat Tavawalla, Rashmi Shah, Batul Tavawalla and Huzefa Tavawalla were among those present.

The programme featured a musical performance by students, followed by a short film highlighting the academy’s three-decade journey. During an interactive session, the chief guests emphasised recognising children’s individual abilities, interests and strengths beyond academic scores, while fostering values such as patience, perseverance and adaptability.

Under the initiative 30 Journeys, 30 Inspiring Stories, 30 changemakers from fields including education, inclusion, sports and industry were felicitated for their contributions to society.

Outlining the academy’s future vision, Masarrat Tavawalla announced plans to establish three inclusive schools and two vocational training centres over the next five years. She also appealed to corporates and industries to create meaningful employment opportunities for young adults with special needs.

“We don’t want charity, we want employment opportunities,” she said, emphasising the importance of equal opportunities, dignity and financial independence. She expressed the vision of making Pune India’s first ‘Neurodiversity City’, with accessible public spaces, inclusive education and employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals.

The programme was compered by Shilpa Solanki, Roshan Dhariwala and RJ Rashmi Khandelwal, who also proposed the vote of thanks.