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Abandoned NO MORE
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Many a handicapped child abandoned by its parents has found refuge in Ashraya Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Centre
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SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD Priya sits comfortably on the red-oxide floor along with five other children. Her beautiful black eyes have a quiet serenity about them. The children are singing an old patriotic song, rehearsing for a celebration. Rehearsals done, the other children get up and walk off. But, Priya does not stand. Supporting herself on her frail arms, she goes up the stairs, her thin legs simply dragging on the cold concrete stairs.
Sunder is five years old. But his mental faculties are of a two-year-old. This boy has an impish smile, and a strange light in his eyes. What is going on in his little mind? Is he happy with the way life has treated him? One really couldn't tell. And he would probably be the last one to know.
Both these children are inmates of the Ashraya Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Centre.
Founded in 1991, Ashraya is a charitable trust dedicated to rehabilitating destitute people, particularly those with mental and physical disability. The centre is run by a group of socially committed individuals. Leela Deshpande, who manages the day-to-day operations of the centre, says: "The main purpose is to teach them to be independent, to be able to face life with courage. And, for this, we need to provide them with good education besides food and clothing."
Located on the Dinnur Main Road, R.T. Nagar, Ashraya started working from a small rented home with abandoned toddlers. Today, the special home has about 60 inmates between the age group of three and 45 years. Among these, 32 are mentally challenged, two are spastics, and three are hearing impaired. "Most of these children are on high medication, which has to be administered at the right time," explains Ms. Deshpande.
Besides a residential school for special children, Ashraya also runs a day care centre for children from poor families and has recently started an old age home for the poor. Situated just two kilometres away from the institute, the home has six inmates.
The residential school uses special methods to train children. The institute also has a sufficiently equipped physiotherapy centre, where the physically challenged are given treatment and helped to exercise. A physiotherapist and a child psychiatrist come in at least once in two weeks to help the children in speech therapy, yoga, and counselling. Besides this, the children are also given vocational training in tailoring, pottery, and screen-printing. Eight trained teachers, and two helpers, along with Ms. Deshpande, help the children out everyday, who are also taught to help each other. "Often, the older children help the younger ones to cope with daily chores such as brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and eating," says Ms. Deshpande.
Learning new skills and making friends at Ashraya - Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Some of the inmates also help in cooking and shopping. Thirty-five-year-old Savithri was born with a physical disability. She can't walk and has a tiny torso that seems twisted at an uncomfortable angle, but she helps in cooking — rolling chapatis (since her hands function normally), supervising other inmates and in administering medicines on time.
So far, four children of the centre have been rehabilitated and one is now happily married. Gopal Rathnam, Chairman of the Trust, who has been involved in social work for the last seven years, says: "While the donations vary, the expenses are fixed. Since many inmates are mentally challenged, they are on high medication which obviously means higher expense per head."
"The expenses for the boarding and lodging of each inmate comes to Rs. 1,200 a month, besides the cost of medicines, which comes to around Rs. 600 per head," explains Ms. Deshpande.
It is a daunting job all the way, and the centre would surely benefit with help from outside. Those who wish to help can sponsor a child's education or boarding or lodging for a month, year, or even a lifetime. Ashraya can be contacted on 33345515.
BINDU MATHEW
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