 | “History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.” – Nelson Mandela This is a truth we must never forget. Years from now, it will not matter what kind of cars we drove, what kind of houses we lived in, or how much money we had in the bank… but the world may become a better place because we made a difference in the lives of little children. The future belongs to them but it is up to us to teach them noble values and guiding principles that will help them make good and wise choices for themselves and their generation, and for the good of all mankind. In this issue, we give you a quick round-up of activities over the past month. We hope you enjoy it :) | Praveen starts walking! Praveen was abandoned as an infant in Vada Madurai, Coimbatore, in May 2008. He was just 3 years old when we received him into our home in May, 2011. Praveen is intellectually disabled, has cerebral palsy and is ADL dependent. He also has a physical deformity of a bowed femur and tibia on his right side. He could only crawl as he has a valgus deformity of his right knee. Praveen receives a nutritious diet and has greatly benefitted from the many therapies he receives. His physiotherapist has developed special stretching exercises for him to improve muscle elasticity and muscle tone. Today, he has better muscle control, flexibility, and range of motion. In addition, Praveen does trunk stabilization exercises to achieve core strength, does gait training exercises to regain mobility, and receives Electrical Stimulation Therapy that helps treat muscle spasms and pain while keeping his muscles active. Praveen is 12 years old and is finally able to stand up from a sitting position and climb up and down the stairs. He has just started using a walker but he is a determined little fellow and we hope to see him walking on his own someday soon! | Vanitha receives the Best Teacher Award We are proud of Vanitha, one of our Special Educators who received the Best Teacher Award conferred by the International Association of Lions Club, Chennai District. She was one among 260 teachers and professors from various schools and colleges from across Chennai who received this award on September 19, 2021. Vanitha is a dedicated, selfless teacher, who brings out the best in our children which is why she is well-loved by them. | Health is wealth! COVID-19 second dose of the vaccination administered for our boys
On August 30th, 34 boys above the age of 18 were given their second vaccination shot in a camp conducted at our Boys’ home by the Chennai Corporation. Once again, ably organized by our Boy’s Home Manager, Pandi Ganesan, and our Social Worker, John. Dental Hygiene Camp
A dental hygiene camp was organized on the 24th of September for 32 girls and 3 young boys by Dr. Pranav from JGHR Total Care, T. Nagar. He taught them the proper way to brush their teeth, how to maintain oral hygiene and the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of self and surroundings for a healthy body and mind. |  Covid-19 vaccination drive |  Dental hygiene camp | | |  Medical camp |  Psychiatric review | | | Medical Camp
On the 27th of September Dr. Vincy, a Consultant Paediatrician conducted a medical examination of 22 boys and 10 girls who needed particular attention for some of their conditions. The children are being monitored by their caregivers and our in-house nurse. This is one of several medical camps we conduct around the year as part of our healthcare program. Psychiatric Review
On the 25th of September, a psychiatric review was conducted for 33 boys and 13 girls by Dr. Kavitha, a Consultant Psychiatrist. These reviews are done periodically in a year. We believe that the overall service infrastructure across our country needs to support the psychiatry of childhood learning disabilities and that the integration of services between child health, community pediatrics, and child/adolescent mental health services is likely to be an effective way forward in the holistic development of children with intellectual and other disabilities. | Work In Place (WIP) Program Our vocational training center, Prayatna, also oversees our WIP program for boys and girls. Youngsters choose their areas of interest and perform duties at the office, the kitchen, in our gardens, etc. The program seeks to involve them in the home's activities while training them for gainful employment in the local community. Our Special Educator, Geetha, conducted the monthly WIP feedback session for our girls. This creates a space where they are free to share their experiences and challenges in the course of work. Our WIP program seeks to focus on three main areas of development: personal – where youngsters develop the knowledge and skills important to personal growth, which includes expanding self-awareness, and organizational and communication skills; professional – where they develop skills important to professional goals such as establishing and understanding professional conduct, setting priorities, etc.; and social – where they gain the knowledge to navigate relationships and share skills while developing social competencies that build inclusivity. | Celebrating our Teachers! This was a fun day celebrated at our Boys' home. Mr. A T Ramesh Karthick, District Child Protection Officer - Chennai was our Chief Guest. The teachers and children put up a wonderful show together with speeches, dances, sharing experiences, and much more! Everyone who gathered had a wonderful time and carried back warm memories of an evening well spent! | A fun day at the beach! Every now and then, we take the children out for a fun day and to let them experience the world outside. They enjoy these outings and eagerly look forward to them. On the 21st and the 24th of September 40 staff members, including Iyyappan, our Founder, accompanied 42 boys and 25 girls to the beach. Carefully prepared snacks from our home’s kitchen were given to the children and they all enjoyed a wonderful, warm evening together. | Please take a moment to give us feedback and visit our website for the latest news and sponsorship options. Sri Arunodayam is a secular organization with zero tolerance for discrimination against children regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity, disability or gender. | Sri Arunodayam Charitable Trust
Tel: 91-44-26511450; Mobile: 91-9444915803
Email: sriarunodayam@gmail.com
https://sriarunodayam.org/ | | |
