CHENNAI: The colour red often has a multitude of meanings attached to it in various cultures. But did you know that it is also a colour that celebrates a cause? Well, I learned this recently at Sankalp — the Open School at Shenoy Nagar. One couldn’t overlook the striking hues of red as you stepped into the school as they celebrated Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) Awareness Month. Lakshmi Krishnakumar, co-founder and director of Sankalp, says “We all chose to wear red today to celebrate the disability, as it’s the colour that signifies the same cause.”
As part of the awareness month, Sankalp has been conducting various events. Among them was the Fire Free Cooking contest for children over the age of 15 years with SLD.
Cooking is an art, and who knows it better than the acclaimed chef Venkatesh Bhatt? The chief guest and one of the judges for the event, Bhatt, the CEO of Accord Metropolitan said, “It is very heartwarming to be here today, and the amount of satisfaction I have been looking at so many children taking pride in what they are doing gives me immense happiness.”
The art of cooking
The tables were adorned with an array of delights — from dry fruit laddoos made by R Sarvesh to coconut truffles by Nikolas Cruz and cucumber katori chaat by R Tanushika — encouraging the culinary prowess of each participant. Witnessing the hidden talents within each child was truly a spectacle for the visitors, especially considering the meticulous attention to detail displayed in the presentation of their dishes.
Professor Mathew Joseph, a renowned chef and culinary instructor at the school, who also served as one of the judges, remarked, “My aim was to empower them to prepare at least one meal independently for a day. However, these children have surpassed my expectations by showcasing a diverse range of dishes, each reflecting their unique creativity.”
In the midst of the bustling crowd, a little smile caught my attention from across the room; a little chef’s hat bobbling playfully with each turn of his head. I walked towards him curious to know what he cooked. “It’s bhel puri, ma’am,” R Sayed Afsar said excitedly, elaborating on the steps involved in its creation. Talking about the event, he expressed, “I enjoy cooking, so being here has been a wonderful experience, and I hope people enjoy what I’ve prepared for them.” His sister stood beside him, beaming with pride as she witnessed her younger brother effortlessly manoeuvring through the tasks, from dexterously slicing the onions to skillfully mixing the ingredients.
Beyond academics
At Sankalp, the culinary arts serve as an integral component of the vocational training provided to students, alongside a range of other disciplines such as data entry, arts and crafts, and more. A programme called Beyond Prayaas extends this training, currently engaging five young adults who actively utilise their special skills. Sangeetha Karthike, the principal of Sankalp, highlighted, “Through Beyond Prayaas and our vocational training, we facilitate the development of students’ communication, organisational and planning abilities, artistic talents, culinary expertise, and much more, thereby uncovering the latent potential within each child throughout the journey.”
The main idea of Beyond Prayaas, Lakshmi said, was to identify the talents of these children and young adults, and to pave the way for them to enter the mainstream field for both education and career without getting pulled into special schools. It’s the boulder, and they are allowed to chisel on it. “Along with this, there are special remedial classes that are being held in regular schools for children with specific learning disabilities after screening them, and this has positively contributed to their development, both in terms of comprehending and understanding the subjects,” said Sangeetha.
As the event drew to a close, there was a palpable excitement in the air, and little faces brimmed with anticipation to know the results. As the certificates were distributed, applause echoed, and happiness filled every nook and cranny of the hall. With such events, Sankalp is bringing forth the array of talents of the children, all awaiting to be discovered by the world.