The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Helping children with disabilities to be self-reliant

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 06, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Helping children with disabilities to be self-reliant

Staff Reporter

Children's performance at Shristi Special Academy's 10th anniversary celebrations turns out to be a real eye opener

BANGALORE: For those gathered to watch the events lined up as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Shristi Special Academy on Saturday, the performance of children with disabilities was a real eye opener.

As these children danced and exhibited their art works, the audience learnt many a lesson on breaking stereotypes.

Shristi is an academy that works consciously towards the development of a special section of society peopled by those with physical and mental disabilities.

Shristhi's main goal is to reach out to individuals with special needs from infancy to adulthood and enable all those individuals to be self-reliant and feel positive. "It wants them to stand up with the crowd with the same amount of confidence and equanimity," said Suchitra Someshekariah, one of the founders of Shristi.

The chief guests of the function were Ramachandre Gowda, Minister for Science and Technology, and Srinath, film actor. Many other eminent people, mentors and well-wishers were present too to show their support to the academy.

Highlights

The main highlights of the evening were an award function and the dance by children with physical and mental disabilities. Many items made by the students such as candles, handmade paper and paintings were exhibited and put up for sale.

Also, the first album by a band called "Shoestrings" led by Manoj Jacob was on sale. All the proceeds from the sale of the compact discs were given to the organisation for the humanitarian cause.

One of the founders of the academy, Sharon W'att, made an earnest appeal to the public to give those with mental and physical disabilities opportunities and support.

In fact, one of the students was a computer professional in a corporate world. She said given a platform these children would develop as successful individuals.

"We have been getting funds and support from corporates such as Motorola, Iflex Solutions, Accenture, Hewlett Packard, Sapient and Progeon. The problems that the organisation faced was of not getting permanent teachers and trainers due to the lack of funds to give them good salary and maintaining the excess capital expenditure," she said.

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