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| P.C.Varghese and Rosamma, Jainy Centre for Special Education, near Pishari Temple, Eroor, Ernakulam PIN 695033 |
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Intense individual sorrow may turn one into a pessimistic recluse. Or it may propel one to better understand the less privileged. To Father P.C.Varghese and his wife Rosamma, the tragedy of their life opened up the opportunity to serve more mentally challenged.
Their only child Jainy was born in 1974 while they were in USA. As the infant grew up, they came to realize that their child was mentally retarded and physically handicapped. Without giving vent to frustration, they decided to do what they alone could do: love and care for their child. Father, who was at that time working in the US Navy’s Medical wing and Rosamma, who was a nurse in a private hospital, took turns to baby sit for long periods. It was then that Fr.Varghese thought of starting an institution in Kerala, as a support for similarly placed persons.
So in 1992 he started ‘The Jainy Centre for Special Education’ in a rented house at Panangad, Ernakulam, with an initial strength of 10 children.
In 1994, he left the shores of US after 30 years of service to take up the reins of Jainy Centre. Soon Rosamma followed him. Today, the Centre is working in its own building near Pishari Temple,Eroor, Ernakulam. Its rolls have more than 70 mentally retarded persons of the age group 4 to 41.
Including 10 specially trained teachers, the school has a staff strength of 18. In addition to training the children to be more self sufficient, the school provides vocational training, horticulture therapy etc.
As most of the students of the Centre come from poor families, the fees is determined based on their financial capability. The expenses towards running the Centre and paying the employees is met mostly by the couple from their savings of many years.
Although the orginal cause of the Centre, Jainy, left this world in October 2000, the couple continue with their ministration of love and care for their foster children.
Courtesy: Bindu K.Prasad, Malayalam, November 2, 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
