contd. from the Morning Rigour

When we had landed at the orphanage, we saw a place bristling with life. Actually the place, spread over an area of 13 acres, was an institution in itself. It had a school for the deaf and dumb, a school for the blind, a school for the orphans, vocational training facilities, hostels , a playground, training facility for the teachers. The place was started by Mr. Moinudeen Koya, retired ADM of the city, in the year 1977. The place had grown into an institute serving 350 blind and deaf and dumb children and about a 100 orphans.
When we got to the place I was wondering to find my way through people who spoke only in sign language (there were no teachers around as the teaching hours were over already). We managed to find the principal's office. He welcomed us with great warmth, and answered most of our queries. Then Mr. Koya alongside Mr.M. Mohammad, the secretary, came to us and gave us information about the institute and its working. He took us to visit the place and showed us around.
There was much more life in their than a normal educational institute where people keep sitting on their computers, either playing games, watching movies, or surfing the net. There was much more life in the place, hardly any students stayed inside the hostel once the classes were over. They were out into the fields playing. Even the blind were out in the cool breeze that was blowing outside and didn't keep to their rooms.
We met with Razzak, a blind guy who sang for us in Malayalam. They were eager to know about us and meet up. I was told that the world does not accept them as it does not have patience enough to know what they are communicating. But these students seemed so easy to talk to and so much more open to people that we made friends with them in a jiffy. Then we met up with a girl Ayesha, she was talking to Mr.Koya in Malayalam, I didn't understand a word but she seemed to throw out warmth in some way. She was about 3 feet tall, very lean and blind from birth. Were told that she was 12 years old. We curse everyone for our small misgivings. Here I saw people who were disadvantaged physically, but were mentally more at peace with themselves. The seemed so genuine and accommodating that when we went to the school for the mentally challenged we were greeted by handshakes and smiles.
When we left the place I was no longer tired, felt rejuvenated and ready to take whatever came.