“Before a constraint shows up in the world it shows up in the mind and exists in agreements that are formed. The fundamental barrier for people is, this agreement, that there are only a limited set of possibilities for differently abled people. ”

Astha aspires to ignite the dreams of the differently abled and the world about what is newly possible.

Astha is a non-profit organization founded as an outreach project in the slum communities of Govindpuri, in South Delhi. Since 1996, Astha has been providing rehabilitation services to children with disabilities such as polio, blindness, speech and hearing impairments, epilepsy, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy. It is one of the few cross-disability organizations working with adults and children, irrespective of the type and severity of the disability. Asha for Education, Seattle Chapter has been supporting this project since 1998.

Naksh is a 5-year-old boy living with his parents at Okhla. He has cerebral palsy, due to which he cannot control his body’s movements. Being untrained in dealing with a disabled child, Naksh’s family only fed him soft foods, which left him undernourished. He was unable to communicate and interact with society.

“Nobody signs up to have a child with special needs. Then you realize that this is a gift, this child is the light. And if you can nourish that light and let it shine, you have an opportunity to get closer to God, and that’s grace” – John C. McGinley

When Naksh’s mother heard about Astha, she started bringing him to the center, regularly. At Astha, they trained her to feed Naksh nutritious food, to improve his health. Naksh has been provided with a wheelchair, as well as a special chair for his postural balance. He has also learnt to communicate using sign language and participates eagerly in classroom activities. Naksh’s parents are filled with hope and continue to work with him, under the watchful eye of Astha’s compassionate and expert counselors.

Please watch this touching and inspiring video of how Astha is helping parents of children with special needs.