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After years of experience in the field of special education at Dr. AV Mehta’s school, Malad and the Dilkhush sheltered workshop at Juhu, I gave up my work as a special educator so that I could pay complete attention to my little daughter as she grew up.
Family life kept me busy for almost 8 years until one day when I received a call from Mrs. Nandini Chandavarkar. I immediately recognized her as Swati Chandavarkar’s mother – my student from one of the schools I had worked at and whom I’d grown to love during my term there. She wanted to meet me regarding her daughter, who had slipped into a severe state of depression. Mrs. Chandavarkar’s visit to my house changed my life forever. From her I learnt that Swati had developed a strong bond with me and after I left my previous school she found it difficult to cope without me around. She wouldn’t listen to anybody and keep crying all day long. She refused to go to any other special institute and confined herself to the four walls of her house.
A once vibrant and bubbly girl, Swati had shut herself from the outside world. Mrs. Chandavarkar made a request asking me if she could bring Swati everyday to my house with the hope that spending time with me could give her back her daughter, the way she was 8 years back. I was apprehensive of the idea but Mrs. Chandavarkar’s eyes spoke a lot and I agreed. That’s where the story of Advitya began. Swati would come everyday for an hour and spend time at my house, eat lunch with us and then leave.
Slowly we increased the number of hours and decided to keep her occupied which would also give her a reason to come to me. So I started off by training her to make envelopes, book marks and gift bags. We continued this for almost close to a year by which time we could see the changes developing fast. Swati enjoyed coming and being with me and she looked forward to going out of the house. She started socializing and interacting with people once again, and her life got back to what it was when I knew her as a student.
That is when Mrs. Chandavarkar proposed that I start my own organization for these special children. She believed that if I could bring about a change in her daughter’s life, there were many more Swatis whose lives were yet to be touched.
With an undying belief in the gift of goodness, we started our organization, Advitya on the 1st of August 2000.
It’s been 10 years now, and every time I look back at the journey that has been, I can see hope and compassion, that have constantly been my guiding stars, grow stronger with each passing year.
It is my dream that one day people will accept my special children with all the love and dignity that they deserve; that one day these children of the lesser god will be the angels that our world needs.
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Once Upon a Time