Photos: 102 Orphans with Special Needs visit Shirdi :-)

[rOhit beHaL]

On 22nd Aug`2013, the 49 year old Lions Club of Meenambakam`Chennai-India had organized a trip to Shirdi,
for children with special needs, chosen from 3 different Orphanages in Chennai:
•    Prabhavathi Jaiprakash Seva Kendra, Gudvanchery
•    MGR School for Hearing Impaired, Ramapuram
•    Home for Handicap, Annanagar

102 Orphans with Special Needs with 24 caretakers from these Schools plus members of the club joined this pilgrimage
for which on 05th Aug`2013 itself the Lions Club authorities had gone to Shirdi and requested the Shirdi Sansthan
to arrange for a Special Darshan and accommodation for the Children.

S.Kavaskar, a student of MGR School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired at Ramapuram
was elated when he was chosen for the Shirdi trip, as he could not believe that on Thursday
he would be in Shirdi with Sai Baba ! Before boarding the express train at the Central railway station,
a jubilant Kavaskar communicating through an interpreter said that:
“I have visited Sai Baba temples in Chennai in the past.
But, this is for the first time that I would be paying obeisance to Sai Baba at Shirdi !"

On Wednesday 21st Aug`2013, the efforts & coordination of the Lions Club President Lion Gopal Shah, Chairman Lion Parthiban
& 20 Lion members paid off as the Governor of Lions District 324 A5, MJF Lion S.Venkataraman flagged the trip off @ Egmore Station.
The special needs children were given uniforms and ID-cards while been taken in the Chennai Dadar express.
They reached Daund Junction on Thursday 22nd Aug`2013,
from where after breakfast they left by road in 3 Luxury Buses for Shirdi.

In Shirdi, the Sai Baba Sansthan had already arranged for their boarding at Phase 2 of the Sai Sansthan Dharamshala,
including free meals for all the Children. Later the entire group left for Baba's Darshan at the Sai temple
where the Sai Temple Authorities had made special arrangements for them & therefore despite being a Thursday,
the entire group of children wrapped up their Darshan within 45 minutes.

After the overnight stay at the newly built Dormitory @ Shirdi, followed by a visit to Shani Shingnapur Temple
the group finally left back for Chennai, where they reached on 24th Aug`2013.
Throughout the tour Games and magic shows were organized on the train for these special children.





















Source: Lion P. Ranjit Mehta (Co-Chairman - Lions Club of Meenambakam`Chennai)













"We have nO special needs children,
 just children..... with special needs !'
.....Uwe Maurer







'Special Needs' is nOt a phrase to be feared.
It's a child tO be LOved !...unknOwn







 "dO nOt place "DIS", in their Ability !"
.....rObert M. Hensel.


rOhitbeHaL