Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

Lots of fun, some lessons too

Staff Reporter

On Children's Day, the home for special children invites the 'normal' ones from other schools.

SECOND TO NONE: Differently abled children of Akshaya Kshetram try their hand in games along with children from other schools on Children's Day in Tirupati.

TIRUPATI: An inspiring speech on Chacha Nehru, singing a couple of patriotic songs and mopping up the event with distribution of chocolates and national anthem... , well, if you think this is what Children's Day is all about, then here is a lesson to learn.

Akshaya Kshetram, a Tirupati-based home for children with special needs, celebrates the day every year by inviting schoolchildren and making them interact with its inmates. The 85 inmates, most of them mentally challenged and some with visual and hearing impairment, not only get a much-needed diversion, but a whiff of refreshment too when the normal children talk, shake hands and play with them. Similarly, the latter gets to identify the abilities that they are endowed with. "This way, we seek to establish a link and integrate the abandoned children into the society," explained M. Ramaswamy, the founder president of the Kshetram. The octogenarian runs the `ashram' along with his wife M. Varalakshmi at Durgasamudram on the outskirts.

Games galore

The visit of hundreds of children from eight schools resembled a mini-excursion. With the stalls and games infrastructure provided by Hotel Fortune Kences, the children played several games. Mr. Ramaswamy is unhappy with the indifferent attitude of the inmates' parents. The parents and siblings of the disabled paid money, but never cared for their relatives. "We have a boy from Anantapur, the only heir of a millionaire, who is unable to get well due to lack of parental care," he noted.

This Kshetram runs only on philanthropic support and not on Government funds. While other homes accept only children with mild disability, this home houses many who cannot even stand up. "We conduct music/dance therapy, physiotherapy and group activities. Those with mild disability are involved in knitting, greeting card making, gardening etc," explains the secretary Taslima Latif. Kshetram can be contacted at 0877-224 7783 or akshayakshetram@

sancharnet.in.

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Lots of fun, some lessons too

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