Support Abandoned Mentally Challenged Children

Dear Friends, 

I hope all is well with you. I am happy to share this report with you. Thank you so much all that you do for these children. 

The famous five

We welcomed 5 new children (or, technically speaking – young adults) into our home, on April 12, 2016!

Siva, Kandasamy, Basha, Moosan,and Kumar are mentally challenged orphans, males above the age of 18. Although their biological age ranges between 18 and 40, they actually have the mental development of 10-15 year olds.

Their story

The boys were looked after by a certain Trust in Chengalpattu, in the State of Tamil Nadu, India, which wound-up operations recently. They were then sent to Wisdom home - an orphanage for normal children, but could not fit in there as they have special needs. 

So, when Wisdom home approached us, we immediately said yes! We could understand that these youngsters were going through a really rough and uncertain time, and we saw apprehension writ large on their faces. Our hearts went out to them and they immediately responded with big smiles!

At Prayatna

We have around 25 such youngsters already with us but the famous five fit in easily from the first day onwards! Very accommodating and eager to learn, we’ve placed them in Prayatna – our Vocational Training Center for 18 year olds’ and above. Here, they will be trained in book binding, and making envelopes, paper bags, candles, door mats, aprons, gloves and napkins.

Prayatna also handles our organicvegetable garden and we are getting into vermiculture too. If the famous five are so inclined, they would be trained in organic farming techniques.

Differently abled, not disabled

If we have learnt anything at all in these past 14 years of caring for the mentally challenged, it is that nothing is impossible for them when they are given the right opportunities and support. They have every potential of becoming productive citizens of society, if only given a chance.

Angel is 3 ½ years old. She was abandoned in a city hospital in Chennai by her teenage, single mother around 3 months before she came to us. Her story is remarkable because she just doesn’t seem to give up!

Angel is mentally challenged and has hydrocephalus - a dangerous condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain, enlarging the head - and sometimes causing brain damage. Luckily, Angel appears to prove the “damage” part wrong! When we got her, she was listless, unresponsive, and almost comatose. And when she eventually did open her eyes, she appeared not to see us and had absolutely no range of movement (ROM) whatsoever.

It’s amazing what physiotherapy, and a good bit of love and care can do for a baby, like Angel. As she began to respond, the first thing she developed was a highly contagious smile! She began to recognize faces, coo, turn over by herself, and now wiggles around delightedly when she hears her name called. She loves the sound of music and kicks and flexes her little feet and arms, as if dancing, even though she is still on her back. She appears to be learning something new each day! She now has almost 80 percent head control, holds her own feeding bottle, is attempting to crawl, can sit up with assistance, repeats words, salutes, shakes hands, and even throws flying kisses to delighted visitors. She absolutely loves physiotherapy time and that’s why she’s making remarkable progress.

True to her name, Angel is a little messenger who comes to us with a softly whispered message - that with a little faith, love,and lots of hope, every challenge – however insurmountable – can be overcome, in time. Angel is one of 106 children at Sri Arunodayam - a home for abandoned mentally challenged children, in the city of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India.

Around 16% of the home’s children are mildly challenged, 23% moderately challenged, 38% severely challenged, 19% profoundly challenged, 2% are spastic, and 2% visually challenged.

• GlobalGiving_Report__April_2016__Angel__v2.0.pdf (PDF)