Helping children overcome the shackles of silence

With every effort Akshray Akruti is getting one step closer to its goal of “breaking the walls of silence”. Every person associated with this organization is helping to achieve this goal by doing their part sincerely. But what stands out in this organization is that the mothers of the hearing impaired children serving as role models. From not knowing anything about hearing impairment to become administrators of various Ashray Akruti Centers.  It was a privilege to meet such amazing women.

Over the last 17 years, the organization has helped over 200 hearing impaired children to get into regular school and colleges. Initially Ashray Akruti started off as a school but with time Mr. Babu realized the kids who were good in academics did well but the kids who weren’t good at it, started to fall back. With further observation he found that these kids had great potential in creative mediums like art, craft, painting etc. Looking at the children’s enthusiasm and special interest shown towards these creative mediums Mr. Babu started a Multi Media Animation Training Facility. As an institutional set up, it is unique and there is no such facility elsewhere in India. Though the set up was very expensive (i.e. the infrastructure, purchase of  computer softwares, electronic devices, hiring faculty for teaching) but Mr. Babu says, “All I could see was what benefit it would give to my children”. He adds further, “I had to do something different, which will give them a good job, where they can sit under a fan and earn a decent livelihood and good respect”. The first batch of 15 students has finished their course and have been placed in the Multimedia/Graphic & Animation Industry.

Ashray Akruti also has vocational training units which train children in the field of welding, tailoring, plumbing, sheet metal, carpentry etc. These options are available once children complete their 10^th from the Ashray Akruti school.

At all of the organizations schools as well as the training institute, the ratio of students to teachers is 12:1, enabling the teacher to give each student individual attention. Further, the medium of instruction is English.

The Computer Literacy Program is introduced from standard 1 itself so that the childrens’ foundation in computers is strong. The organization also has a well-equipped library, science labs and Yoga-dance-Karate facility. “Holistic Development is what we aspire for and not just academic development,” says Mr Babu.

One very interesting component of Ashray Akruti’s mechanism is how they encourage  mothers (who are part of the training) to educate fathers and other family members with the details of the training.

Future Plans

Ashray Akruti wants to spread its wing into other states very soon and also plans on starting a certificate course in Jewelry designing.

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Aadeep