Day of fun, motivation at mela for deaf children

Organised by the Deaf EnAbled Foundation, the event saw the participation of nearly 700 children from seven schools, six from city and one from Cuddalore. Nearly 20 stalls with games such as mini golf, darts, bow and arrow, ring the duck and more were open for the children.

The theme for this year's mela was 'Hasthe Gaathe' (laugh and sing) to encourage the children to break away from their shell and showcase their talents.

"These melas are an opportunity for children to come out and mingle with others. This, in turn, helps their socialisation as they are taken away from the school space. Here, they are shown that there can be a safe space to showcase their hidden talents freely," said Father John Xavier, headmaster of St Louis Institute for the Deaf, Adyar, one of the schools involvedin the event.

The brainchild of TMK Sandeep, founder of Deaf EnAbled Foundation, the mela's main objective is to offer the children a space to have fun and enjoy without any hindrances. To this effect, the mela saw 45 volunteers from L&T, the corporate sponsor of the event through CSR, and 70 volunteers from St Louis Institute.

"The volunteers are all alumni, who act as role models for the children. When they see how much farther deaf people can take their lives, they feel empowered to do the same. This motivates them for their future, too," said Ramya Miryala, director of the foundation. The event ended with a cultural programme and distribution of gifts for the children.