Amma’s care for children with special needs

She was just a Class IX student of Ramakrishna Mission School, Palvancha, when she got married to Mareedu Ravi.
Asha Jyothi Home in Eluru district has its own building with around 80 children and 25 dedicated staff  | Express
Asha Jyothi Home in Eluru district has its own building with around 80 children and 25 dedicated staff | Express

VIJAYAWADA: Just like many girls from middle-class families, Mallavalli Madhavi had dreamed of becoming a doctor and serving the poor. But, fate had other plans. She was just a Class IX student of Ramakrishna Mission School, Palvancha, when she got married to Mareedu Ravi.

Jyothy, the sister of Madhavi’s husband, who was a child with special needs and mentally challenged, died of illness. With the incident, Madhavi decided to do her bit to serve children with special needs and mentally challenged.

Along with Ravi and his father Venkata Swamy, she established the Asha Jyothi Handicapped Welfare Society on June 22, 1998, at Hanuman Junction of Eluru district. Asha Jyothi Home, which was started with five children with special needs on a rented premises, now has its own building with around 80 special and mentally challenged children.

Madhavi, who has completed her post-graduation in Social Work and a special course in Special Language and Psychology, had to spend most of the time taking care of children at Asha Jyothi and her own kids. Care and Share, a prominent NGO, has extended support to Asha Jyothi. To maintain the big family, she has even worked as a teacher under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. Later, the government appointed her as the chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee of West Godavari district for four years.

Asha Jyothi Home has an emergency clinic, a cowshed to provide milk to the children, physiotherapy equipment, a giant washing machine and solar panels for electricity. Though she lost her husband, she continued her service with the support of her family, Venkata Swami, Papayamma, and children Tejaswi, and Koushik.“When I lost my husband, my family members stood by me. The Covid pandemic was a testing time for us.

I am thankful to the donors who came forward from foreign countries, with the help of some local friends. I consider all kids here as my own and they call me Amma (mother), which makes me more responsible,” an emotional Madhavi said.All together 25 dedicated staff are available 24x7 at Asha Jyothi Home to take care of the children in the green and beautiful countryside environment.

“I visited Asha Jyothi Home and was amazed by the dedicated services they are extending to the children with special needs. The civil society should extend support to such Homes,” said BVS Kumar, former Child Welfare Committee (Krishna District) chairman.The Home is getting support from a few NRIs also. One such organisation is Empower and Excel (US).

“Empower and Excel extends support to meet the needs of children’s education in India. After coming to know about the efforts of Madhavi and her uncle Venkata Swami to help children with special needs, we came forward to support Asha Jyothi,” says Ayesha Charugulla of California.

“Our team from the US visited the organisation. They have been doing an amazing service for the children with special needs and the disabled,” she adds.Ravi Kantamsetty, Dallas, USA, said he extended aid for construction of two rooms for the hostel for girls at Asha Jyothi.

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