Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Shri Guru Sankalpam School

So yesterday we had the opportunity to go to the Shri Guru Sankalpam School for the Mentally Handicapped. While we were there, we painted the outside gates and did a small mural for the school.


The bus outside the school

I had not previously had a chance to go to this school before and it was such a rewarding experience.

The handicapped have a rough time here in India. Whether it is physical or mental handicaps, those who have them face stigmas along with misinformation about the diseases themselves. Often the parents don't know what to do with the children and either mistreat them or ignore the symptoms and still try to treat them exactly like a normal child.

The Shri Guru school has come out of a bunch of parents who came together and talked about the difficulties of having children with special disabilities and not having an outlet for them or a way to teach them in a way that they could learn and grow. At the school the children are able to interact with others, make friends and learn vocational skills along with receiving a rudimentary education. It's wonderful to see how something as small as a group of parents talking can change into a school. It's also funded by the profits that are made from the items that the students learn to make. Their work turns into more opportunities for education and growth.

We came to the school and not only found the outside covered in paper scraps (from people pasting up posters and signs) but we also found a HUGE pile of rubble outside where we were supposed to do a mural. So we got to work painting the other side of the entrance while waiting for the rubble to get cleared out by some of the men at the school.


The painting supplies

So we painted the left wall and the gates and by that time the rubble had been pushed away enough that we could paint.


Yay! It's so much better than grey....

After getting the base paint on we started to do the detail work.


Aleesha, Lexi and Ashlee working on the mural


My sketching of the school's logo


After painting the initial detail on the logo, Lindsey went back and did a few touch ups


Aleesha, Lexi and Ashlee worked on the left side and did letters, numbers and a few kids playing


Aleesha with the paintings

Midway through the paintings we had a guy come up and talk to the headmistress. He was a professional painter who was on his way to pick up his son from school and saw that we were painting the disabled kid's school. He offered to help us with the sign for free. It was so nice! And he was SO good at it!


Lindsey and Lexi watching a guy who came to help us with the lettering.

While that was going on I went inside and took some pictures of the kids. They were so darling.


The headmistress


The activities for the students


One of the philosophies of the school. Pretty cool. (click to get a better picture)


These boys were so sweet. The one on the right kept smiling and shaking my hand. :)


Another boy who kept smiling and was quite friendly


The boys in the vocational class


The kids learning with a teacher


This woman is 40 years old. She is able to learn and have an enriched life because of this school. Also she gives awesome high fives.


The kids on the school bus

After going around and taking pictures we were finally done with everything. So we got the teachers together and took pictures.


The teachers with Lexi and Aleesha


It was such a fun and rewarding day. I'm so glad that I went, learned about this school and was able to help in some small way. :)


Myself in front of the finished sign :)

0 comments:

Post a Comment