News from Happy Valley – special needs centre

The centre recently bought a second second-hand small school bus which was funded by our supporters in Scotland.
This provides an instantly recognisable, safer and more appropriate vehicle for transporting the children than the previous Omni van.
The two buses run about 236km every school day.

The director, Philip Matthew, writes:
Thank you for your valuable support for the special school.
There are 63 children on the roll, of whom 44 are coming regularly. We teach language and maths. We provide physiotherapy and speech therapy for the special needs children. For older children, above 19 years old, we arrange vocational training like candle making, umbrella making, newspaper bag making, lotion, hand wash, ornaments making, screen printing, door mat making, paper flowers making etc. Also, we teach them musical drums. We celebrated Independence Day on August 15, hoisting the national flag in our school. And we also celebrated the Onam festival for which we arranged a special food with sweet payasam. We also provide breakfast and noon meals – our president arranged the fund for the breakfast. Our children and parents are very happy.

Regilal is a cerebral palsy student in our special school for the last four years. Now he comes regularly three days a week. He and his mother come in our school bus for physiotherapy, speech therapy and attending the academic class. He understood everything and he likes running, jumping, signing and colouring the picture in the book. He takes breakfast and noon meals. He is very happy in our school.
He comes in a poor family. His father is an electrician who has no regular work and his mother is house-wife. He has an elder sister studying in 8th standard. They belong to a Hindu family. One of the church people supports him for his medical treatment and equipment.

Ajin is 14 years old. He is a mental retardation and hyper activity student.
He is studying in our school for last three years regularly.
Previously he was studying in Government normal school nearby and the school principal referred him to our special school.
Now he is doing much better as we can give him special attention and control him. He comes from a poor family.
His father is a daily coolie worker – not in regular work. His mother has only primary school education and is a housewife.
He has a younger brother studying in first standard in normal school.
He was studying in our school for last year for speech and behaviour problems. Now he is better. He is very happy in our school.

Once again we thank you for all you are doing for us.

Ajin