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Not the end of the road
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The work of the Divine Light Trust for the Blind is evidence that disability need not always deter one from doing things everybody else does
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K.K. Mustafah
HOPE SPRINGS Despite instances of parental neglect, some students of the Divine Light Trust have excelled in their fields while competing in regular schools
Living in poverty or being abandoned cuts one off from secure moorings. It is a dark life and time. A time when one holds on to anything that helps one live life first and foremost, and then live life comfortably. There are individuals and organisations who would love to help because they find meaning in such work. Divine Light Trust for the Blind, the first NGO in Karnataka set up in 1958 by Father Abraham, himself blind, is one such organisation: it rehabilitates and integrates blind and multi-disabled children from the lowest social and economic backgrounds into mainstream life through education and training.
Coping with disability
Kanthi Das, Director of Services says: "We integrate these children into regular schools after providing suitable training and life skills to overcome their disabilities. In cases where the disability is too severe to enable them to join regular school, we provide suitable training that includes vocational training within the campus. On completing their education, they join the mainstream."
Hands-on training is given in every activity. Resource personnel explicitly trained to handle these children impart life skills that include the right orientation and mobility, social integration with peer group, pre-math and oral work.
Seven schools have been identified where the children receive training. Typically, the day starts at six in the morning when life skills are taught. They attend regular school between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. On returning, training continues till about 7.30 in the evening. Each of these seven schools has a specially trained teacher taking care of their special needs. Currently about 75 children live on campus. Besides these children, a sizeable number live with their families and come over for special training. Ravindra, Secretary of the Trust, observes: "To ensure these children grow up to be independent and lead as normal a life as possible, we integrate them into regular schools after imparting relevant life skills."
Some among the children have been picked off the roads as in the case of five-year-old visually impaired Aruna who was found near a gutter with maggots on her body. "She is now in grade 10 and doing extremely well," says Mr. Kanthi Das proudly. Some come with multi-disabilities.
"These children need special care and some of them cannot attend regular schools. Such children receive training in the campus based on their abilities to make them as independent as possible. Unfortunately, we receive no help from parents in the initial years when we try to rehabilitate them. But once the child completes school, they come to claim them as they are now potential earners," laments Ravindra. "Fortunately, in spite of such parental neglect, some of our students have excelled in their fields while competing in regular schools." He points proudly to the visually impaired Thippaswamy who stood first in his regular school in the SSLC examination and Rathna who received close to 25 awards for her music.
Besides training these differently-abled children, a one-year teacher-training course is also conducted in which resource personnel from all over the country participate. On completion of this course, they are eligible to teach such children in regular schools.
Community-based rehabilitation programme around Whitefield is the next project planned. The Trust will identify disabilities, assess need for medical intervention, counsel and train families and provide vocational training. Says Thippaswamy, a bright smile lighting up his face: "I want to study economics after I complete schooling." Aruna chips in: "I want to become a music teacher."
The lives of the children may not after all be entirely dark if their achievements are anything to go by. They have dreams and the power to realise the dreams.
To get to know more on how the Trust works and how so many children come through in life, get in touch with the Trust and call 28452234.
NANDHINI SUNDAR
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