“Giving every child a chance to reach their full potential is the best work anyone can do.” - Hillary Clinton

This about sums up our life’s work at Sri Arunodayam! Rehabilitation sounds complicated to people but to us, it’s simple. It’s about helping the children in our care reach their full potential. This doesn’t stop at just the children; it extends to our staff and stakeholders, creating an environment where everyone living or working with us can attain their full potential. Maintaining this simple focus keeps us joyful.

Special Olympics District Event

One of the many pillars of rehabilitation therapy at Sri Arunodayam is exercise and sports. Each child is encouraged to be active in ways that work best for them. An avid reader who tends to be sedentary is encouraged to take a daily walk in the garden or play an outdoor game with companions. An outdoors person is encouraged to get a little more adventurous and join team sports. We know that inactive children are likely to become inactive adults, at risk of developing life-threatening conditions. Exercise enhances their emotional well-being, giving them a ‘feel-good’ boost while helping them socialize and sleep better. We also found that those who engage in sports on a regular basis are calmer during lessons than those who don't.

On the 23rd of May, 12 of our children participated in the Special Olympics District Level Event organized by Chennai District Special Olympics, and Rotary Club of Madras Central Aadithya. The event was held at St. George’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai. We won 2 Gold medals in the 100 meters run. The winners (proudly displaying their medals and certificates above) will participate in the State level event to be held shortly.

Bhumi Campus Awards

The Bhumi Campus Awards honors Colleges across Tamil Nadu that maintain the most eco-friendly environment, the most socially responsible staff, the most unique social initiatives, the best volunteer engagements, the best waste management programs on campus, and more along those lines. 4 of our children – Srimathy, Fathima, Shantha, and Nithya – with their dance teacher Ms. Reshma Gunasekaran performed a classical dance at the inauguration ceremony, which happened on the 11th of June at Rani Seethai Hall, Chennai. Thiru. Siva V Meyyanathan, Minister for Environment – Climate Change and Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, was the Chief Guest.

Thailand and Tamil Nadu Friendship Awards

Celebrating the friendship between Thailand and Tamil Nadu, this cultural event took place on the 18th of June at ITC Chola, Chennai. Mr. Nitirooge Phoneprasert, Consul General of the Royal Thai Consulate, Chennai, gave the keynote address and Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan, Honourable Minister of Finance and HR Management, Government of Tamil Nadu gave the inaugural address. The show featured cultural dance performances from across Thailand and Tamil Nadu. 6 of our girls (Nithya, Srimathy, Akshaya, Shantha, Shobia, and Fathima) with their dance teacher performed the dances of Tamil Nadu.

As with sports, dance is another activity highly encouraged at Sri Arunodayam. When we introduced dance at the home a few years ago, our girls had hyperactivity and balancing issues. Today, they have overcome these challenges and can even remember long and complex dance sequences. They have made dozens of public appearances to date.

These are children written off by society. Thanks to their special educators, physiotherapists, and dance teacher, they are reaching their full potential.

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Sri Arunodayam is a secular organization with zero tolerance for discrimination against children regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity, disability or gender.