Nurturing academic, social, and personal growth in children with disabilities
Each project we complete sparks our passion for the next one. During our Kerala flood relief work, we met a family with two sons, both of whom had cerebral palsy. Both parents were well educated, yet the mother could not work as she had to take care of the kids. We learnt that there were 70 children with severe disabilities in a 5km radius that needed special care, but the local center was too small and not equipped for the task. This is where we realized that we could go further and give the local special needs community an enriched space for their needs. With a land grant from the government, we put up a recreational facility for Sabarmati School for children with special needs in Haripad, Alleppey, in 10 months. The school has a cafeteria, a kitchen, appropriate toilets, a soft play area, and provides rich experiences for the children who study there. It also provides their parents some respite for a few days each week. We wanted the children to enjoy the space, and this is where we cross-pollinated again. We sponsored women artists from Auroville to paint beautiful murals on the walls. The school now hosts a cheerful look and the kids find it stimulating and joyful to look at these paintings.
