Therapeutic residential center for people with special needs

Truly Heaven’s Special Children!

O nce upon a time, a handicapped boy asked his mother why was he so different from others. So, his mother explained, “when it was time for another handicapped child to be born, the Lord and his counsellors held a meeting to decide where he should be sent, where there would be a family to love him. Well, our family was chosen.”

This conversation on radio made John and Edna realize that their 18 month old handicapped baby girl Ruth is god’s special gift. That night Edna got up and scribbled on her letter pad. That scribbling is none other than the famous poem “heaven’s very special child” by Edna Massimiller.

When it was time for another handicapped child to be born, the Lord and his counsellors held a meeting to decide where he should be sent, where there would be a family to love him

I was skeptical about visiting Riya hope farm. First of all it was a weekend and I did not want to get up early in the morning. Second, I dint not know the way. I just knew that I had to change two buses and then a walk for 15 min. So I left home at 9.00 AM. I also had a box of cake with me which I guarded with my life in the bus. Nothing is worse than a smashed cake. It took two hours for me to reach.

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I was welcomed by Buddy and Mille – two super healthy Labradors. As I entered the house, Kiran opened the door and welcomed me inside by holding my hand. All the kids were smiling at me and it touched my heart (also brain because I forgot about my two hour adventure). I felt something. Something I never felt before.

 

Suddenly, I remembered the cake in my hand and rushed to the office to check whether the cake had changed its figure. Thankfully it did not. I offered a piece to my Ma’am as I explained (exaggerated) her my two hour ordeal. Later I started interacting with the children. They did not talk to me first. May be it took time for them to be familiar with a new face. So I waited. After half an hour they started replying to what I said. They started showing me who their best friends were. By one hour they were used to me and it was not tough for me to take care of them. All I needed was to know what they wanted which I successfully understood.

After lunch it was time for me to leave. All the children went to sleep and I had nothing to do. I told Ma’am that it was not very tough for me to handle the kids as I thought it would be and she said that all you needed was trick to control them (which I think I have). My day at Riya was pleasant and memorable one. I thanked my brain for making this decision of visiting the Hope Farm. As I was leaving, buddy and mille bid me farewell. Thank god they were caged or else it would have been a not-so-pleasant memorable day.

Dhanashree Vishwanath

As I recollected that day’s events, I noticed that one thing was common among the children in Riya Hope Farm. It was something simple but harder to find these days. They were happy. It was not fake to flatter others but which came from their heart. They were happy with whatever they had. Unlike us they were happy for who they were. I learnt a lot from them which is scarce in today’s world. Running behind success, people are not only selfish but also cruel. But when realization occurs, the only thing they are left with is loads of wealth but no happiness.

That day was my day of realization. I realized that materialistic things don’t give us happiness; instead they burden us with unnecessary problems. I realized that to be happy you don’t need everything to be intact. Like these kids even we can be happy with whatever we have.

Slowly I even realized what I felt at the beginning as they smiled at me. It was true happiness. It was the feeling of acceptance. They dint care who I was, what my qualifications were or whether I had any flaws. They just accepted me the way I am. Not everywhere people accept you as the way you are, instead, they identify you by your flaws. But these kids, even if they are not accepted by the society they accept everyone as the way they are.

They really are “Heavens Special Children!”

A experience shared by a volunteer Dhanashree Vishwanath.

 

Address & Contact

Riya Hope Farm
No. 2-21-111/2
Valley view villa, Kotimura,
Padavu village, Kulshekar Post,
Mangalore : 575005
Karnataka, India.

Contact :
Email: [email protected]
Phone : +91 7892-317978 / +91 824- 2231181
Office timings : Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm

Disclaimer

"Riya Foundation” is a registered trust (non-profit organization -155/2009-10 IV) registered with the Commissioner of Income Tax under 12-A of the Income Tax Act bearing No. R-57/80G/CIT/MNG/2011.12, established in the year 2010. Your donation is tax-deductible under 80G. We run a residential recreational facility for the people with special needs called "Riya Hope Farm", currently located at Mangalore (India).