Journalism of Courage
Traveling,it is said,is education in motion. Navkshitij,a registered NGO which has been operating a residential programme for mentally challenged adults at Marunji village since 2003,has imbibed this lesson firmly into its psyche. Currently home to about 31 residents,the NGO’s primary aim is to provide a peer group to mentally challenged friends. For the past seven years,this peer group building,and efforts at improving their interaction with a more inclusive social group,has translated into memorable trips. The first five years,the special friends’ group visited the tough terrain of the Himalayas,while last year they soaked in the wild surroundings of Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This year,a select group from Navkshitij will undertake a four nights-five days trip to Thailand. A group of 34 people,of whom 18 are special friends,will spend two days in Pattaya,and the rest of the trip in Bangkok.
Accompanying the mentally challenged friends will be some parents and volunteers. The idea is to introduce them to a different culture, says Dr Neelima Desai of Navkshitij. Most of them have never had the experience of air travel,or of sitting in a plane. This is about letting them taste this part of life. The Navkshitij team worked for three months to get the paper work,itinerary and other critical details of the trip in order. Finances were limited,so the NGO approached travel agencies and flight services that afforded them subsidised travel. Parents of the mentally challenged friends also pitched in for the trip money. All of the residents couldn’t be part of the trip because of financial constraints. Some parents didn’t take the initiative; they were reluctant about travel abroad, says Dr Desai. But the loose ends tied up well,and the group will take off on June 29,and return on July 3.
Of the 18 special friends who will travel to Thailand,five are from schools apart from Navkshitij that cater to their needs. These trips are open to other organisations who work amidst special friends as well. In Thailand,the group will indulge in typical touristy delights like parasailing and other adventure sports; visit dolphin shows,temples,wildlife and marine parks; and possibly even attempt a sea-floor walking session.
