Nellore: Home for special kids out of money

Nellore: The future of orphanage Pragathi Charities, home to 150 differently-abled children at Nellore, is at stake following mounting expenses and inadequate grants from the government.

Though some philanthropists have come forward, the existance of the 25-year-old organisation is becoming a question mark due to insufficient funds.

While the annual expenditure is Rs 36 lakh, the grant from the government covers only a part of the expenditure. The number of children in the home had increased from 80 to 90 in 2010 and has now touched 150. This has made it a gigantic task for the management to handle these children.

In fact, some of them don’t even know how to dress or what they are doing or eating. There are more than 12 children in the age group of few months to three years and most of them have been abandoned by their parents because they were physically handicapped.

Police found a few months old baby boy Mahesh, dumped in bushes with injuries all over the body two years back at Chittoor and shifted him to the home. “We don’t know who his parents are but they abandoned him because he was crippled. However, he is walking on his own with the help of physiotherapy now,” said the head of the home Vinukonda Suseelamma.

She said two 8-month-old babies Mounika and Sravan, were brought from Kadapa and Atmakur after their parents dumped them due to their physical disabilities. Now as 3-year-olds, both of them are like any other child because of the regular treatment administered to them.

Thanks to the special school and college for the mentally challenged and hearing-impaired, being run by the home, several hearing impaired children have passed X standard and are excelling in academics.

Notwithstanding their challenges, some of the inmates have excelled in cultural activities like dance and drama which they would not have even thought of, a few years back. The Hearing Impaired students have participated in state level Dance Competitions in "Andhra Wala" Programme conducted by a popular satellite channel and their performance brought laurels to the District and State.

Ms Suseelamma said they are managing the home because of the support by philanthropists such as J.V. Reddy, Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, G. Sumanth Reddy and scores of others who make it a point to celebrate their birthdays or special occasions amidst the children. Some people offer rice, vegetables and other essentials to the home.