Dilkhush Workshop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33nLZsi8FRI

Hrithik Donates School Bus To Dilkhush! Hrithik Roshan went to meet the students at Dilkhush School in Juhu and even donated a school bus to them. For more videos log on to www.lehren.tv

Dilkhush Special School needs a special mentioned for the work they have done in this field. Established in 1971 for children with a mental handicap, it has around 100 children from six - 18 years of age and with varying degrees of mental handicap yet within the mild and moderate range alone with a few who are also severely handicapped. They do not charge fees.
The school has 11 classes which range from KG to seniors but these are totally different in nature from the classes in a 'normal' school. They also have two non-academic classes where children after completing their school or those who have special skills are trained in some vocational skill. Students can stay till the age of 20.

"The mentally re****ed are often confused with the mentally ill. This is a misconception," informs sister Maria Dolores Tena, the former principal of Dilkhush special school." A mentally re****ed child is basically intellectually challenged and the learning process is much slower for them. As a result they have defects in adaptive behaviour. The capacity to understand and learn at any given age will be less than average. But this in no way means they are mad or ill," she explains.

These children are taught several skills so that they can work as well learn at the same time. There are four sections - woodwork, tailoring, embroidery, and home science. In the woodwork section, children are taught to make teaching aids, pencil holders, letter holders and other utilitarian items like hooks, etc.
In the tailoring and embroidery section, they are taught to work no sewing machines and they stitch aprons, pillow covers, baby quilts and dresses, napkins, towels, etc. and also embroider these items. In the home science department, they are taught to make pickles, juices, jams, snacks and also liquid soaps.

"It not as easy task for these children to do this work. But they put in a lot of hard work and learn the art after a considerable period of trail and error. But this build self-esteem rises. That's what we aim for over here," says Sarita Fernandes a teacher at the workshop.

'The children here do not like a change, they are happy doing the same job everyday. A change for them means more effort to do the simplest things. They thrive on repetitive work. The World calls them politely intellectually handicapped' people but for us they are very special in aver different way," she says.
Top

Many celebrities have come forward to help these children- be it Akshay Kumar, Vivek Oberoi or Salman Khan. JW Marriot in its unique way has come forward to fulfil its responsibility as a good corporate citizen. It has established a relationship with the Dilkhush Special School and enrolled in the 'Spirit to Serve' Programme.

It is the first hotel I India to hire mentally challenged 'associates', as the JW Marriott, Mumbai prefers to call its employees. Today, as many as five mentality challenged associates ate working fulltime in departments such a laundry, housekeeping and the kitchen. Their duties include folding towels, linen delivery to.

"The smile of gratitude and love in the eyes that these kids have for you when you do nothing but just spend some time with them is something your own child will never offer you," say Vandana Mittal, who dose voluntary work for S.P.J. Sadhana School.
Ever since its inception, over 31 years ago, the S.P.J. Sadhana School has worked ceaselessly toward helping the mentally challenged individual, not only to learn to adjust to the world around, but more: to become a useful member of the human community, independent and self sufficient, with a contribution to make to society.

"Give me a disciplined child who speaks when spoken to I will never be able to reach out to them. Give me a special child and there is so much to communicate and give and get so much of love I return that I can thank God for works closely with special school like S.P.J.
S.P.J. Sadhana school has a trained team of teachers and professionally qualified therapists each of whom has hands on experience in the filed and look at other aspects of mental retardation, such as the benefits of nurturing the special talents each individual manifests and encouraging the student to work no them.

Special teaching strategies and unorthodox technologies are developed and employed by them. Their goal is to transfer as much learning as possible, to make the learning process enjoyable to molding it to the individual student's needs and to elicit the maximum satisfaction from it both to the teacher and the taught.
They also tap into the child's special gift and foster it in order to equip that student to be launched into a self-reliant and productive life.

Earlier these special children were taught how to go about the daily routine in a way that they can independently handle things. Yet there was much more potentiality to tap within these children. It is such shelters and schools that offer these children a chance to blossom.
"I never see their disability… Office only see how I can help them to do what they are capable of with a little support and learning," says a loving teacher about here pupils.

These children of lesser God do not need pity or sympathy. They need love and understanding. They need opportunities and dignity of work. What really matters is the family's and society's reaction to their handicap. If more and more people patronize the products made by the less fortunate sections of society like the mentally handicapped ans also give them a job, which is what they are always denied, these children could assimilate beautifully into the mainstream. Let's do our bit to make these children a part of our society and give them a place they rightly deserve.

Source: http://www.disabilityindia.org/djartnov05C.cfm

Article of the Week Disability India Network

Dilkhush has been around for more than a decade and had been doing some amazing work. Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan talks about the school. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33nLZsi8FRI

Hrithik Donates School Bus To Dilkhush! Hrithik Roshan went to meet the students at Dilkhush School in Juhu and even donated a school bus to them. For more videos log on to www.lehren.tv

We are working on the new website. Check out www.dilkhushworkshop.org Your feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome :)