The premises of Mitr on Coastal Road in Besant Nagar is bustling with activity. A few children are playing a ball game. A 12-year-old is busy weaving a garland. Charanya plays the perfect host, offering me a cup of tea.
If you happen to be near Asthalakshmi temple, do drop in to see the “extended home” of these special children as well as to shop for freshly-cut vegetables, decorated diyas and other handicrafts made by the students.
Tarang, a self-help group started in 2015 by Latha Vekatesh, N. Ganapathy and other parents of children with special needs, has been imparting life skills to these children.
What was missing was a spacious and a homely atmosphere, which they have now found at Mitr, a centre for special children.
“I was running a virtual group called SCAN (Special Children Association Network). Later, Vimal (a trustee) offered this centre called Mitr, which kicked off by first offering a few activities for special children on a daily basis,” says Gopi, another trustee of Mitr.
The self-help group offers vocational skill training to build the confidence levels of children and also to make them financially-independent.
Products such as adai mix, rice upma mix, wheat flour, agarbathi, sambrani, paper bags and thambulam are made by the students.
“The proceeds from the sale of products are spent for their training and entertainment and is also shared among the students,” says Latha Venkatesh, a trained special educator and a mother of a special child. She says Taranag started with two children. Now, they have more students joining them after they moved to Mitr in April 2017.
“It is a mini world created for these children where they are helped in various ways to develop life skills. We operate at Mitr from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There are a few regular customers who buy cut vegetables and other products made by our children at a reasonable price,” said N. Ganapathy, father of Koushik, a special child. Ganapathy took voluntary retirement from RBI.
The centre is looking to get more orders from residents in and around the neighbourhood.
“Give our children an opportunity to become financially-independent by giving them work,” they say.
For details, contact Latha Venkatesh at 9841366419 or N. Ganapathy at 9940033158.