Improve Lives of 90 Special Needs Boys in India

The kids at the Institute for Mentally Handicapped Children (IMHC) have had a fun-filled month. This year, the Indian festival of holi meant a day of color, fun and festivities for the 100 boys at the Home. The celebration was extra special this year as much of the holi powder was created by the boys themselves. Some of the boys from the Home have for the last few months been participating in flower sorting by color, which helps with their motor and cognitive skills. The flowers were then dried and turned into organic holi powder – and, of course, the boys had a blast playing with it.

The other fun event this month was the special meal the boys were treated to. When U&I staff at IMHC realized that the boys hadn’t eaten chicken in over a year, they decided to change that. So they pooled their resources and rolled up their sleeves. Armed with 25 kilos of rice, 20 kilos of chicken and hearts full of love for the children, U&I therapists, and special educators became the cooks for the day! They doled out platefuls of biriyani to the boys who just couldn’t get enough of the yumminess. Chopping onions and sweating it out over the stove, U&I staff’s commitment to these boys goes beyond the call of duty.

The children at the State-run Home have a long way to go in terms of hygiene awareness, physiotherapy and speech readiness. But U&I’s committed staff are there to help them along this journey. Whether it means playing holi with the kids or cooking a meal for them, they have these kids backs. Often times, that means our staff puts themselves at risk, contracting infections and skin diseases from the kids who are still being trained about hygiene and cleanliness. But the smile on these kids faces makes the journey worth it. Our staff believes in the dignity of each person at the Home and they walk the talk to prove it.

It’s not often that a set of pajamas makes an impact. But in the life of little Hanuman, a set of warm PJs was a pretty big deal. As a resident of the Institute for Mentally Challenged Boys (IMHC), he is one of 90 kids. Often, that means that the government-run institute can’t cope with individual needs of the boys. When a group of kids, including Hanuman, became sick there was little choice but to keep them quarantined. Sleeping on the floor with nothing more than a thin sheet, it was a difficult time for him.

But then U&I staff member at the Home, Anusha, noticed his situation and had the resources at hand to help him out. She picked out a set of warm clothes and gave them to Hanuman. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes. She had noticed he was cold. She cared enough to give him the clothes.

“Akka, but tomorrow I won’t get the same clothes, will I?” asked Hanuman. He feared that after U&I staff left for the day, his clothes would get mixed up with the rest of the laundry. He wanted to make sure he got his warm clothes the next day. And Anusha was there the next day, too, to make sure Hanuman got his wish.

It was just a set of old pajamas, possibly donated to the Boys’ Home. But it made a difference that someone cared enough to make sure Hanuman was warm that day.

U&I staff like Anusha give these children a sense of security. Day after day, these kids see these caring “akkas” and “annas” (big sisters and brothers, as the kids refer to them). To these special needs kids who have been abandoned, U&I becomes their family.

U&I works with IMHC to ensure that each of the boys receives the care they need to reach their full potential. Every day our staff at the home nurture and equip these boys: from teaching them basic things like daily hygiene to helping them cope with emotionally challenging situations.

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