Support Abandoned Mentally Challenged Children

Satish appears to remember his father (an auto rickshaw driver) who abandoned him at the Mylapore Railway Station, Chennai on the 2nd of June 2005 when he was just 12 years old. He remembers obediently waiting at the spot his father instructed him to stay at. Sadly, the man never returned to claim Satish, and Don Bosco Anbu Illam rescued him and sent him to us. Understandably, the child was hurt and withdrawn and it took us quite a while to coax him out of his depression and get him interested in the world around him.

Satish lives with mild intellectual disability and has regular bouts of fits. Silent by nature, he's a hands-on type of person who prefers to work on the most challenging tasks before him. He appears to have finally found himself. Satish was a top student in our Special Education program and became a top student at Prayatna – our vocational training center, where he blossomed into the calm and capable young man that he is today.

All of 24, and a perfectionist, Satish is our top performer at Prayatna too where he's pretty much mastered all the vocational activities! From making candles to painting lamps to binding books to neatly wrapping products… no one beats Satish yet! On the personal front, he's extremely finicky about cleanliness and loves to keep himself, his work station and his favourite haunts scrupulously clean. Satish is also a recognized sportsman in running and long jump. He's a State player recognized by the District Differently Abled Welfare Office (DDAWO), Chennai.

We are incredibly proud of this young man who chooses not to let his past overshadow his life. It’s not that he’s forgotten the sad incident but that he bears his sorrow with a quiet dignity and calm acceptance while continuing to put his best foot forward each day. This is a beautiful life from which we have much to learn!

Children are a priceless gift. They aren’t given to us because we are special or entitled, but because they can make our lives special as we choose to receive and love them. If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a young lad like Satish, please call our office and schedule a visit. There are 34 other young men like him whose lives can be transformed with a little help!