A child is a special gift of God but then there are specials of special who deserve the love from society but many times in the society they are considered as “Vikarma” and live with a taboo of not being normal. Unconscious bias is so heavy that we don’t realise what we are doing! It takes time and a trigger to understand the life on unknowns.
Sometimes using social media and specially WhatsApp helps in making your life useful as you get to know certain things around you. One fine morning, I saw a message from a fellow society resident about a fashion show for special kids and she was looking for some help from fellow netizens to sponsor the clothes etc. I did dig little deeper to understand what it is!! And I soon had a realisation that it is not just an event for the sake of it, but it is a fashion show named “RUN Way OF DREAMS” organised by “Hyderabad one ladies circle(166)”. First things first, I heard a new name as I didn’t have any idea about a society of charity beyond the so-called NGO’s. I was sceptical because lately I don’t have much trust or enthusiasm for NGO culture. Though I was sceptical, yet when I heard that an event is about these wonderful special kids in a coordination with the “National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyang Jan)” then I thought to give it a chance and at least attend it if I can, just to experience the world out of my comfort zone.
A poet in me was motivated to write few lines about these wonderful kids. I wrote about love, friendship, relations and even about “Ram” and “Krishna” but never a thought crossed my insensitive mind to write about the reality of life which is nothing but a cruel creation of my beloved “Ram” and Krishna”. I kept thinking what these innocent minds think, how world look at them and then, aren’t they are the best creations!! So, I penned down my thoughts and shared with the person who posted the message in WhatsApp initially, and again can’t thank technology more to make this collaboration very easy. To my surprise, I was invited to recite my poem in the function, and it was overwhelming for me because I was thinking to sit across, attend and observe from far and now I was becoming a part of it. I didn’t think much about my office schedule and agreed for my presence not only as an audience but as a performer on the stage. Three cheers for me as I am going to do something else then my routine life and again credit goes to the person who posted the message on WhatsApp.
I arrived at the venue as usual before time to understand the surroundings. I walked around the institute campus. There were many kids with their parents and yeah, they were different but special. I kept thinking how these parents would be copping because sometimes society is sympathetic to the person but not cooperative to the reality. Won’t these parents want their kids to run around and play like the kid next door without being seen as different. Will they be thinking that what did they do wrong that it happened with their kids??
Keeping all the thoughts around my mind I reached to the auditorium and called the God’s messenger who implanted thoughts in my mind to come and become part of this. I was thinking that well these sorts of programmes delay a lot but again a prejudice was defeated, and program started nearly on schedule. As the program was organised by “Hyderabad one ladies circle” so as the name suggested I could see lot of beauty with brains owning businesses in and around Hyderabad on the stage and in the front seats of the auditorium along with the teachers of the very institute. I must say that sometimes it is a common thought in many people’s mind that all good looking, well dressed and people doing well in life are associated with such programmes because they don’t have anything else to do or have a lot of money but don’t know where to spend. Well, I don’t care about thinking of “Twitterati”, for me the fact is that when people put a step forward to bring smile on the faces of needy then nothing matters and that’s what these wonderful ladies were doing to these wonderful special kids. I don’t see a harm in sponsors putting their name on the wall when they help in making the events successful. The dark side of sponsorship is when “Tobacco” production units sponsor sports events and not when a make-up artist sponsoring a make-up for kids participating in a fashion show.
Function started after lighting the lamp and I was first to go on stage with my poem. I write poems in Hindi, and I was reciting in front of very diverse audience and didn’t know whether what I am saying was going to reach to the hearts of the parents and kids but still I was motivated to recite with my full enthusiasm because I was talking from my heart. As program moved it was phenomenal to see the enthusiasm of kids and a million-dollar smile of parents when their kids were walking on the ramp. Auditorium walls were thundering with the applaud and whistle sounds. Kids were walking on tunes of different songs and inclusivity was at peak as kids along with special kids were walking the ramp and dancing on the Bollywood numbers. It was a treat to eyes, and I was so glad that I could come and observe the happiness on the faces of parents. Teachers also walked on the ramp, and it was mesmerising to see the loudness of auditorium when the director and teachers were walking the ramp, they definitely deserved it because they are the ones who are making difference in the life of these kids and their parents on everyday basis. I am glad that I could watch these heavenly souls.
I was sitting beside my friend and what I got to know about her and the work she is doing in the field of people’s life improvement (Charity is a small word for it!!) is commendable. It was time to leave but I cherished a lifetime experience in two hours among the beautiful minds.
My thinking is that it is not necessary to live in slum to help slum dwellers, but if possible, it is necessary to put a foot forward to help them. I am glad that we have people in society who are ready to spend time and money to make others life better. This program was a huge success for me because it lit the candle of joy and glitter the eyes of special kids, their parents, and the teachers.