11th SBS @ Anugraha Trust

The volunteers visited the ‘Home for special Children’ of Anugraha Trust as a part of their 11^th SBS on 11^th April 2010. The trust is run by a committee of 7 trustees and has office in Chennai and Bangalore apart from the one in Mysore. A child with disability is considered a liability and more often as a shame. The situation aggravates if the child belongs to a poor family. Under such conditions people around fail to understand that this child too has a heart to feel, a brain to think and a desire to lead a normal life. The trust believes that such children require constant attention, love, reassurance and affirmations of hope so that they can rise above their impairment.

The volunteers caught up with Smt. Vanajakshi, Founder Trustee to know more about their endeavors. She is staying in the premises where the children are taken care of and has dedicated her full time to the good cause. She is involved personally in the Trust activities and attends to the children on a day to day basis. She informed that they have children with about 20% mental retardation (MR) to those with 80% MR. “These children need special care and constant monitoring. It takes years of care, mentoring and medical assistance to see improvement in such cases. There are been instances where in we’ve been able to keep the MR under check”, said Smt. Vanajakshi. She further added that two teachers trained in special training visit the facility every day. There were also two physiotherapists who frequented the ‘Home for special Children’.

The facility is maintained with 5 caretakers apart from the supervision of the trustees. Mr. Dinakar Surve, Trustee was also present during the occasion. He mentioned that the government has appointed a doctor who will visit the facility once a fortnight for the routine checkups. Apart from the routine checkups, he is also available in cases of emergencies. It was learnt that these children usually do not have any physically disability from birth. It is because of their inability to exercise control over their hands and legs (due to MR) that the limbs go weak, hence making physiotherapy essential along with the regular treatment. Mr. Dinakar informed the volunteers that it would cost up to Rs. 1,500 per person every month towards the medical expenses alone. Some of the general medicine is given free by the government but many others have to be brought.

The children arrived at around 9AM for their breakfast. They prayed to the almighty before the volunteers served them with Idli-Vada and badam milk. 

The inmates comprised of children of varying age and levels of MR. The most touching moment of the day was witnessing the more capable of the children helping others in their daily chores. Those children with more control over their MR helped others in eating their breakfast and also in washing their hands. The volunteers were told that some of them even regularly wash their clothes and were reaching a stage when they could be almost considered normal. 

 

The volunteers then handed a balloon each to the inmates and bid farewell. More smiles to be spread, more hopes to be nurtured… The Aashayein Caravan shall go on… 

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