It must be Anne Mansfield Sullivan’s perseverance that must have made Helen Keller, a deaf and dumb girl to achieve what she did. Otherwise life for Keller would have been different.
Now, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is going to play Sullivan in the lives of 50 special kids from this region, whose learning has been confined to four walls of the room.
SSA will be organsing a three-day long adventure camp commencing from today with the sole aim of giving the differently abled children a different experience of learning. A camp of this kind was organised even previous year in all the district head quarters.
During the camp the selected 50 kids will take part in trekking, water sports and other thrilling activities for the next three days starting from today.
The camp is organised by the SSA with the support of the District Scouts and Guides and it will be inaugurated at Pilikula Scout Bhavana on Monday morning.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, SSA District Assistant Project Co-ordinator Peethambara said that 50 children mostly from the government schools that come under seven educational blocks in the district have been selected to participate in the camp.
“We have chosen the students who are moderately doing well despite the mental or physical illness and they will be taken care by 10 teachers who have been designated for the same. It will be a unique programme as the children will open themselves up to a different environment where they can learn new things as well as overcome their fear,” he said.
Though children between the age group of six and 14 have been selected for the camp, majority of the children are from fifth to eight standard. Mangalore Taluk Education Co-ordinator and District Badge Secretary of Scouts Monappa Gowda Kaje said that the scouts team has planned various activities for the special children including ‘Vana Vidya Sanketha’, an activity to identify the forest resources, estimation of natural resources, treasure hunt, visit to the zoo, games to activate the sensory organs and other adventure sports. He said that games and sports have been modified to suit the abilities of the special kids. Food and accommodation facilities will be provided to the children at Pilikula.
Peethambara informed that the government had granted Rs 25,000 for organising the camp in the year 2011-12. There has been a slight delay in organising the programme. As the granted fund is not sufficient to organise the camp, the SSA has also sought help from the Rotary and other organisations.
