hope

Touched, moved and awakened.
I saw in  the eyes of Lakshmi happiness, desire to succeed and dream. When she asked me to
sing for her, it was probably the greatest honour bestowed on me..
Sitting in front of her computer in her lab, the machine which spoke to her so as to let her
know what she was typing, she seemed docile at first..I did drag her into a brief
conversation and in due course she helped me see beyond!! The school for visually challenged
was full of Lakshmis.
So, another worthwhile day here. Previous to the NIVH visit, we were taken to RAPHAEL, an
abode for the intelectually challenged. Saw their classrooms, joined them in their dances
and savoured their hospitality. The biggest takeaway was for me the immeasurable patience of
all the tutors there. Of course, I had my favourites too, Avinash from Jammu and Paras in
particular stole the show :) Those hand printed stoles made by the children will stay with
me forever.
There were a few disturbing thoughts in my mind though.. I felt we were intruding too much
in their routine lives. Sometimes I wondered if this is looking staged, like a celebrity
endorsement.
However, I  hope that my fears are unfounded and that they did enjoy our visit.