Support Abandoned Intellectually Disabled Children

It was Christopher Reeve who said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”  He must have been talking about Nithya, a petite 20-year-old with boundless energy. Effortlessly switching roles, she’s a tailor, a caregiver, a nurse, and a champion sportswoman! Nithya’s story gives hope to youngsters living with mild forms of intellectual disability.

When she came to live at Sri Arunodayam, the effects of rejection made her crave attention in awkward ways. We enrolled her in Prayatna, our in-house vocational training center, where she learned to constructively focus her energies. It’s here that the transformation took place.

Nithya loves to care for the little ones at our home and she expressed her desire to do a course in nursing. We enrolled her at the Association for Non-traditional Employment for Women (ANEW), in Anna Nagar, Chennai. As part of her internship, she trained at 4 top hospitals under the direct supervision of the hospitals’ nurses. Having successfully completed her course, Nithya now works with our in-house medical team.

Her boundless energy drew her to sports and she’s a champion today! In March 2023 she won the Gold medal and a cash prize of Rs. 3000/- at the Chief Minister's Trophy, District Level Competition for the differently abled. On the 17th of July 2023, she went on to win the Chief Minister's Trophy, State Level Competition organized by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. Nithya did us proud, winning the Gold medal and a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000/- this time. She’s now training for the Paralympics.

It’s hard to imagine that this is the same troubled youngster who entered Sri Arunodayam almost six years ago. What a radical transformation! It’s been worthwhile to see her find her place under the sun.

Nithya’s story illustrates how children can blossom with a little love and direction. Working the rehabilitation programs at Sri Arunodayam and outside has helped her become a self-confident young lady with a very promising future!