Keeping Hope Alive

A few seconds can change the course of a life. For newborns, oxygen deprivation to the brain during birth (also called birth asphyxia), can cause damage that lasts a lifetime, including physical and intellectual disabilities. Rajveer, a 10 year old, is the eldest of three children in a low income family living in Janta Mazdoor located in Shahdara, Delhi. His father is a labourer and his mother works as a maid. Although he might appear to be just like his siblings, he has an intellectual disability and suffers from a speech impairment because of birth asphyxia. As a result, he is quite dependent on his family for his activities and cannot speak.

Rajveer’s and his parents’ lives changed for good when they came to know about a special school run by Anchal Charitable Trust through its community volunteers. Soon, Rajveer was enrolled in the centre for academics as well as for other government schemes. Within a few months there has been a noticeable improvement in Rajveer’s academic performance. According to his class teacher, he has a good grasping power and learns quickly. He is one of the most obedient students in his class and completes his work on time. He is now able to express himself through gestures. His class teachers are sure that he will go a long way given the dedication with which Rajveer learns.

Rajveer’s mother expresses her feelings by saying “Mein bas chahahti hu ki yeh apni zindagi mein kuch ban jaye.”