EK PRAYAAS ZINDAGI BADALNE KA....

-Howling at the apogee of her vent was this stout, stunted, pale looking girl struggling to eat her meal.

-At the other end of the room I see a scrawny, petite boy screaming and hitting his head on the wall.

These were my pristine encounters when I finally clocked in 5 Green Enclave where my NGO looking after the mentally challenged children was grounded.

As I settled down after this daunting and spooking experience a chubby cute looking girl enters the Principal’s office serving me with coffee.

Her face reflected cuteness and innocence which gave a turn to that initial experience of mine.

“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give”, Sir Winston Churchill.

After talking about the course of my internship, my eyes leered through this quote which was very neatly written on the white board in the office. It stirred a whirlpool of emotions in me.

“It’s true that one person can't do everything. But each person can do something. And together we can solve problems and make every life better”. All these thoughts gripped my mind followed by endless tears that rolled down my cheek.

We as students had always thought that the social service week and the moral science classes in our schools were merely forced compulsions that use to simply bug us. And the lectures by our parents at home used to double that pain up.

But was such a callous behaviour on our part right???

A PILGRIMAGE OF HUMANITY ………

A prayer to some and an answer to prayer for some-EK PRAYAAS

Started in 1998 with two students, a special educator, a teacher and a helper in a rented accommodation in Ludhiana this pilgrimage of humanity has been through all ups and downs to reach at a stage where it is now.

In an age where you see the nouveau riche partying ,the president of EK PRAYAAS Mrs. Samira Bector donates her time from soup to nuts in this NGO.

“It is said that we can create a temple by giving our hands to serve and our hearts to love”. With a loving heart, serving hands and a determined head to do the work of humanity, the focal point of my service was mentally challenged children”.

Samira Bector

President, EK PRAYAAS

With the vision to enlighten, enrich an empower the differently abled this NGO today is dispensing services to more than 5o students, 4o on roll coming daily and 6 in home management. There are 3 special educators and 5 trained teachers apart from psychologists and psychiatrists who visit regularly.

A NEW DAWN.......

Working here I realized that Education was a luxury for the poor, a necessity for the middle class and irrelevant for the rich, but enormously important for special children. It opens a window of opportunity into the world outside, so that the world can appreciate their talent and intelligence. With this realization and the aforesaid quote in mind I started my caravan with brimming devotion thereby completing the task of making a documentary, video advertisements, posters, writing articles, teaching and understanding these children very successfully. I feel more than blessed in having been able to intern in such a selfless institution.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH ALTOGETHER

The institute provides training in all the areas of adaptive behaviour:

With groups being formed on the basis of every child’s age, I.Q. and capabilities, different areas are allocated to the qualified educators. Promotions of the child’s assets, abilities and to stimulate normal patterns of movement are the key areas which are looked after.

HEAVEN’S VERY SPECIAL CHILDREN

With 2 % of the Indian population affected by different disabilities and 0.20 % of these disabled being mentally challenged, being aware of these children’s own feelings and being prepared for the responses of others only, will help them manage their differences more easily.

JUST GIVE....

Charity really does begin at home. Why not make it a family affair? Involve your children and grandchildren in learning about the world's needs and the charities that serve them. The children will never forget what they've learned, and you'll start them down the path to a lifetime of giving. A lifetime of sharing and a lifetime of feeling good about it.Society has various archaic perceptions of people with mental retardation and other disabilities. Let’s stop viewing them as object of pity and treat them normally as human beings.

Recognize, support and celebrate the qualities of these special cherubs of the all mighty.

MAKE A LIFE.....