SPJ Sadhana School
‘We need to look beyond the handicap and see the potential in every soul’
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 11:9:31 IST
SISTER EILEEN GAITONDE and DR. RADHIKE KHANNA, who head the SPJ Sadhana School for special children, run out of the Sophia College campus, tell SHERNAAZ ENGINEER that there is beauty, dignity and potential in every person born into this world
Sometimes, people come together to partner in the most fortuitous way and together forge a destiny that becomes a blessing to society at large. The ladies in question are Sister Eileen Gaitonde and Dr. Radhike Khanna, who head the SPJ Sadhana School for special children, run out of the Sophia College campus. They are just back from Nigeria, where they have, along with the Lions International President, Mr. Chugani, set up a vocational training centre for the mentally challenged there.
Radhike Khanna has been with the Sadhana School for over 20 years, while Sr. Gaitonde came in 15 years ago after being the Head of the Society for Sacred Heart (India). Radhike did her doctorate in Special Education from the Knightsbridge University, UK, while Sr. did her M.Ed from Manchester. Together, they have worked out teaching and training modules for children with multiple handicaps. The institute today offers its students vocational training in art, tie-and-dye, printing, packing, catering, and so on, and they actually have a staggering 1036 ex-students working in some capacity or the other and earning a livelihood.
I ask Sr. Gaitonde to give a spiritual insight, if there is any such thing, into why some people are born disadvantaged in a world that places such a premium upon perfection. She is philosophical and replies: “I think they are sent to remove our bad karmas and help us grown as human beings. They have values we need to be reminded of. Look at any special child. He or she is happy, uncomplicated, and accepts life without struggle. Scientifically, of course, it has been proven that even Down’s Syndrome child has an extra chromosome, so I would say they are one rung higher in evolution than ‘normal’ people who have 46 chromosomes, while a Down’s child has 47.”
Radhike, however, does confess that parents cannot deal with the blow that their child is not ‘normal’. “This becomes an added responsibility for us as we not only have to look after the child but the parents as well. Parents have very low expectations of such children and don’t look after them well believing that they will be up to no good in life. Some even resent God, their fate, and the child for being ‘cursed’ with such a burden.”
Tragically, there are more special boys than girls because with gender testing for the fetus, many times the girl child is done away with (without knowing, of course, that the baby could be having a mental retardation problem).
Sr. Gaitonde tells the heartwarming story of a parent who was told that she was carrying a Down’s syndrome child. “Yet, she chose to have the baby anyway as she did not believe in abortion and both her husband and she were willing to accept their child as it was. The beauty is that a perfectly normal girl was born – the test was obviously wrong! Today, that girl is a brilliant achiever and her mother is one of our volunteers.
She came and told us that she was preparing her soul to look after a Down’s child and that even though her daughter was normal, she wanted to work with special children and help them as her daughter was supposed to be one!
Radhike adds that attitudes are changing. “Today, I do see some spark of hope. Earlier, I had to fight with the Indian Railways all the time to get concessions on train passes for our students as mental retardation was not listed as a handicap. I used to keep going to Mantralaya and begging the ‘babus’ to concede and finally we have managed to get them 50 per cent concession like all other categories of handicapped persons. I think people are a little more aware and sensitized today. Although, not enough is being done.”
Corporate funding is also not as forthcoming as it should be for such a worthwhile cause. Street children and women seem to be more ‘catchy’ causes. The mentally handicapped do not seem to attract the kind of support that they need. “Although HSBC has supported us and so has HDFC,” Sr. gratefully adds. “But we have a long way to go. I believe that these children deserve justice as human beings – they too have a right to education and we should help them get that, although they need a special education and we are there to provide it as long as we get support.”
Radhike adds, “We need to look beyond the handicap and see the potential in every soul that is born into this world. We must believe in the whole human being, and not have preconceived notions about their disadvantages. Do not write anybody off. The impossible does happen and there is a truth that is beyond what your eyes can see.”
Of course, both are full of admiration for their dedicated teachers and volunteers who come forth with their time, energy and commitment with no expectations in return. Sr. especially mentions Geeta Gopalakrishnan and the noted homoeopath, Dr. Anita Daswani, as well as scores of other who pitch in and help.
They have, in fact, just brought out a beautiful coffee table food book with recipes that the children create in their catering workshop, and the lavish volume is available on donation at the school. It is eminently browse worthy!
Both Sr. Gaitonde and Radhike Khanna are single women, by choice, fulfilled by the work they do, and truly embody the ‘sadhana’ that their institute is named after.
Email – spjsadhana@gmail.com