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Light up lives
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The Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled provides the physically challenged with opportunities to integrate themselves with the mainstream
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WE SHALL OVERCOME Samarthanam's quiz for the visually challenged is just one of its many activities to empower the physically challenged Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
This isn't a high-profile quiz at a premiere management institute. For one, there's no truckload of money waiting for the winners. The audience numbers less than 50, and one could count on one hand the number who weren't participants who missed the qualifying mark. And the few who aren't participants are their scribes. Welcome to the quiz for the visually challenged at the ninth annual celebrations of the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled.
Even before I walk into the event, I have a dozen notions on what I'm about to see. While some — such as the rarity of ill feelings in the face of loss — hold true, other generalisations are happily broken down. The quiz doesn't get easier just because the participants are disabled. And other than for scribes to put answers on paper during the prelims, the various teams require no real help from the volunteers that mill around them.
Indeed, that is the way that Samarthanam functions, creating opportunities for growth rather than providing charity. As one volunteer explains: "At Samarthanam we don't pamper people, but rather help them come up themselves." Physical disabiled himself, he says he originally came to the organisation to avail himself of the opportunities it provided, found a platform for his talents and received the necessary exposure. Now that he has achieved a high degree of independence, he has returned to the organisation to provide support to others.
The founders
Samarthanam, in a sense, owes its origins to the disabilities of its founders. The organisation was begun by Mahantesh, Nagesh and Mudda, three visually challenged persons determined to help others easily overcome obstacles that they had grappled with in their own lives. At first, the three friends would provide aid out of the own pockets to other disabled persons. When the demand for their services rose, they turned to their well-wishers for support. When even this didn't suffice, they decided to formally establish a trust, and Samarthanam was born.
The primary objective of Samarathanam, says Mahantesh, is integration with the mainstream. To this effect, the organisation runs a hostel for physically and economically challenged students who attend mainstream schools and colleges. As part of providing integrated education, Samarthanam also employs 22 trained teachers who act as a buffer for children in the mainstream education system — organising resources for them and providing extra tuition wherever necessary. The organisation also provides extensive computer education in an attempt to provide students opportunities outside of the traditionally sought-after arts domain. Thus many of the students trained by Samarthanam have now entered courses such as BBA, B.Com. and so on. One of the organisation's students is, in fact, the first visually challenged chartered accountant in the country, says Mahantesh.
Besides education, Samarthanam also promotes sports and culture, organising cricket tournaments, athletic meets, dance and music competitions and so on, both in outside India. As Mahantesh explains: "Our focus is on keeping students motivated and pushing them to venture out into the world."
Samarthanam can be contacted on 26592999/1488. You may also check out its website www.samarthanam.org
RAKESH MEHAR
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