Our Clinical Director, Nisha Mistry has visited Gujarat in India to volunteer at one of the special needs school in February last year. Her time spent at Mamta Mandir School was one of the most unforgettable experiences of her life.
Mamta Mandir School is based in Gujarat, India and is a special needs school providing free schooling and boarding for children all across India who have special educational needs. Most of the children who attend this school are from poverty-stricken backgrounds, and ordinarily would not have the opportunity to attend school at all; Mamta Mandir School gives these children a chance and provides them and their families with hope for the future.
The school not only teaches the children standard academics, but also as they progress through the grades they begin participating in vocational classes, so they are equipped with the knowledge of a trade such as carpentry, tailoring and much more.
In addition to this, and arguably the most valuable lessons the school is teaching these children is respectfulness, kindness and care. As a stranger coming into the school, I could immediately see that despite many of these children not having seen their parents for weeks and sometimes months, certain ‘family values’ had been embedded within their way of life. Everyday, when I walked through the school premises, the students would greet me respectfully and politely, they would insist on helping me carry my boxes and bags and they’d help me cross the intimidating, bustling road!
I felt lucky to be involved with this school and can only imagine the pride the teachers and housemasters must feel on a daily basis.
Having visited the school 10 years previous on a family holiday, I was determined to visit again and offer support with my Speech and Language Therapy experience. The teachers and children welcomed me with open arms and the week flew by!
During my visit, I conducted some observations of the classes in action, talked to the teachers and established how exactly I could support them in such a small amount of time. I provided some speech and language training for the teachers to equip them with evidence-based strategies and ideas to support and facilitate childrens’ understanding, expressive language and their ability to learn. I also conducted some 1:1 informal assessments with the students to provide more specific guidance and advice.
On the students’ day off, I wanted to spend some quality time with the children, so I brought in a big bag of games and conducted small play-based therapy group sessions with the children throughout the day. Seeing the pure joy in the eyes of these children is a feeling I will cherish for a long time and was one of the personal highlights of my experience.
My experience at Mamta Mandir was a truly humbling experience. I am extremely thankful to the whole team for embracing my visit and welcoming me with open arms. I am inspired by the dedication of every individual involved with the school; the legacy of the Late founder Shri Maheshbhai Kothari certainly lives on and I am confident the students are in the best and very capable and committed hands.