Compassion in action

Navachetan has been training, educating and giving a new life to at least a couple of hundred specially-abled children who come from various backgrounds for the past 15 years, writes
I J Saldanha Shet

Specially-abled children need special attention and the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters (UFS) of Mangalore have demonstrated that they can do this despite all the hurdles they face.

In the coastal agricultural districts of South Kanara and Udupi, there are many cases of cerebral palsy, hearing, speech and visual impairment among children, particularly among the weak agricultural labourers, marginalised, discriminated and the under-privileged populace.

Since 1998, the UFS sisters take care of these children at the Christraj Navachetan Special School, Venur, situated on the state highway between Mangalore and Dharmasthala. They have to face many difficulties, yet they run this vital residential institution smoothly.

As the parents of the children this residential school houses are poor, the institution runs largely on the generosity of its benefactors.

God’s work

The Navachetan Special School was originally run by the Lions Club of Venur, but when they found it difficult to run it, they handed it over to the Ursulines on September 20, 1998 and was officially inaugurated on March 15, 1999. It was officially recognised in July 2000. It is now set to complete 15 years.

Although it is managed and run by a Catholic order of nuns headed by the Principal, Sister Lilly Gomes, it has the support of all the communities. For instance, the Kateel Temple Trust helps in the midday meals expenses.
Apart from an extraordinary academic record, students of the school have proved themselves by participating in district and state level special Olympics. Zahir Hussain participated in cycling at Rae-Bareli and won a gold medal; Harish Poojary  was a part of the State football team  and earned a bronze medal. Pratibha Shetty participated in taluk, district and state level yogasana competitions and has won a number of prizes and recognition.
Effective teaching methods
Explaining the hands-on concept of the school, Principal Sr Lilly Gomes says, “A special school to be effective in its goals must provide accurate behavioural assessment with a proper teaching or learning plan for each special child. This is a detailed task of assessment and groups students not by age but by their intellectual ability.”

“Vocational training apart from drilling them to efficiently perform their daily routines, personal and academic, are some basic programmes. The process is complicated, gradual and inclusive of reward systems at multi-levels, known and unknown areas, rational and abstract areas and so on within a solid system.”

Occupational, speech and physio therapies are conducted, but there is a need to be more case specific for which special staff is needed. A special teacher has a significant role aiming at the holistic growth of the pupils. In Navachetan with hardly a dozen staff, most of whom are helpers, multi-tasking covers the huge volume of work.

“We do our level best to accommodate those who knock on our doors and try to never turn away anyone by adopting a flexible manner lest the disabled suffer. There are many communities and cultures present here but discrimination or differentiation is completely absent”, emphasises Sr Lilly.

Open for all

There is a clear educational goal of ‘enablement’ behind the play-based learning and practices, much of the rote learning used widely in the Indian school system is absent. Navachetan aims to build on the strengths of each individual to enable them to enter mainstream schools, employment or lead a good life.

Navachetan has given hope and a new life to at least a couple of hundred children who have moved on to their own adjusted lives over the last 15 years. They are presently from surrounding places of Belthangady taluk of South Kanara. The school has been recognised with Mother Theresa’s Prerana Award by the Chair in Christianity of Mangalore University for service to the children of a lesser God.