The members of IE made a visit to Tallur Family trust, a school for specially-abled children in Kundapura, on March 17.
Weekends could be tempting for a movie or a dine-out. But little did we know that our decision to embark on this journey would influence us in so many different ways, more than an absolute thriller or a delicious feast ever could. We reached our destination at about half past eleven. It lifted our spirits when we came to realise that this institution was founded by parents who swore to make a difference, once they found out that their beloved child was mentally challenged. We thought to ourselves, that the world would be a much better place to live in if it had more people with half the heart as these parents.
The sight that awaited us was heart-warming. We were greeted by a group of innocent, unimpeachable faces. They were mentally challenged students, aged between 5 and 35 years. The teachers told us that the students were taught basic everyday skills like how to dress themselves and even how to shop, so that they can survive and sustain themselves without external support. She also pointed out that indulging them in activities to make them self-sufficient seemed to improve the way they think and respond.
We conducted fun activities for them. First was finger painting. The way the colours made their eyes glisten and glimmer, was indescribable. We also made sure they got a glance into the artistic world of Origami, as they entertained themselves with various paper-folded figures. Some of the works even surprised us in their sublimity.
We bid them goodbye at about 2 in the afternoon, after having spent around 3–4 hours at the school. We’d tried our best to make them happy, and indeed they were, but in the end it was them who put a smile on our faces! We left the place revamped, and with a better vision for life.
– Lamia Kalam
