SPECIAL CARE FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN

SPECIAL CARE FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN

       Service to humanity is service to God' has been the motto practised in letter and spirit by the Bethany congregation of sisters attached to the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church for running the MGM Bethany Santhi Bhavan,Kadamankulam,Kallooppara in Pathanamthitta, a special school for the mentally challenged children, at Kadamankulam, near Kallooppara here, for the past 12 years.These nuns have proved that the disabled are differently abled, making this special school a model to the rest of the State.“Here, we look after mentally challenged children, giving them love, care, protection, education, and vocational training. We give more thrust on making these self-reliant or, rather, live independently to the maximum extent possible,'' says Sr. Mercilit, the visionary school Principal.The institution that had a humble beginning in 1999 in memory of the former Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram, Benedict Mar Gregorios, has come a long way to become a unique special school of its kind in the whole State.

    The school, situated in four acres of land in rural settings, caters to the needs of the rural poor and semi-urban families in Central Travancore. As many as 88 differently abled children, 26 boys and 62 girls, are studying at the school and 45 of them stay at the school boarding. A well-wisher of the school has arranged transport facility for children from the nearby areas of Kizhvaipur, Kavoyur, Mallappally, Murani, Marickal, etc, says Sr. Mercilit. Students are placed in pre-primary, primary, secondary, pre-vocational and vocational classes on the basis of their age and intellectual standard. Students in the age group of four years to 32 years are now studying in the school.

  “The classes begin with an assembly and we give training in yoga, dance, music and sports, besides physiotherapy and speech therapy,” says Sr. Mercilit. According to her, 39 of the 88 students belong to low-income group and the institution never accepts any fee from them.The sensory room set up by the Rotary Club of Thiruvalla is a major attraction at the new school building. Varghese Thomas Kalaikattil, Rotary Club president, has initiated the project after visiting similar schools in the United Kingdom. The world-class sensory room has been set up in association with the Rotary Club of Workshop Nottinghamshire in the U.K. The school has got a well-trained band set. Students above the age of 17 years are given vocational training in candle-making, painting, flower-making, mat-making, soap and soap powder making. Children suffering from autism, Down syndrome, and different types of mental retardation are studying here. Sr. Sandra, Sr. Manojna, both training teachers, and Maria Gorethi, superior of the convent, assist Sr. Mercilit in running the school.

                                                       Prof. John Kurakar