Source of Life (Jeevante Urava)
Many visually challenged persons have exceptional talents in music, but they seldom get an opportunity to showcase their talents. ‘Source of Life’, launched under the initiative of Soly Kadambattuparambil, is an orchestra team of 30 visually challenged persons. This initiative enables visually impaired persons to showcase their talents as well as earn a livelihood. The team members are given training in musical instruments and vocal singing. The orchestra team has already performed several public programs and channel events.
Dharsana Shingarimelam
Shingarimelam is a traditional percussion concert that has ‘chenda’ or traditional drums as the leading instrument. It is an inevitable item in the festivals and celebrations in Kerala. Dharsana Society gave training to 20 visually impaired persons in Shinharimelam and formed Dharsana Singarimelam team. They have performed in various festivals and events and it has become a source of livelihood for the artists.
Irulettam Nadanpattu Samithi
Irulettam Nadanpattu Samithi under Dharsana Society was formed by Soly Kadambattuparambil with the aim to encourage the folk song artists among the visually challenged to showcase their talents. The group also has performed at several events.
Initiatives to nurture spirit of sports in differently abled persons
We, Indians, are proud of the incredible achievements of Indian sportspersons, who won 19 medals for the country in this year’s Paralympics held in Tokyo. There are many physically challenged persons who are talented in sports. However, opportunities are comparatively fewer for them to develop and showcase their talents or to perform in events. Realising this, Soly Kadambattuparambil initiated several items under Dharsana Society to encourage the sportspersons among the people with special needs.
Cricket team of the visually challenged
Every year, Dharsana Society selects talented cricketers from among the visually challenged and gives them training under eminent coaches. Currently there are three cricket teams under Dharsana Society: Dharsana Strikers Thrissur, Dharsana Stars Trivandrum and Dragon Star Thrissur. The Society also organises three-day state-level cricket tournaments for the visually challenged. Cricket training camps are also conducted for them occasionally.
Chess tournament
Dharsana Society organizes a chess tournament for the differently abled every year. This tournament has now become a state-level competition from which national level and international level players are selected.
Darshana YouTube channel
Dharsana YouTube channel, with thousands of subscribers, acts as a platform for the members of the Society to showcase their talents. Margadarshikal is a program streamed on this channel, in which differently abled persons are interviewed by Dharsana Society members, who are also differently abled. These interviews give a chance for differently abled persons to express their thoughts and share their dreams, aspirations, challenges and concerns with the viewers. Almost 400 persons have been interviewed as part of this program. Kanavu is another program on the channel in which Dharsana Society members can showcase their talents. Snehamukulangal (Love Buds), is yet another program on Dharsana YouTube channel for persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities such as autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities, where they can showcase their special talents. The program named Thulyaneethi aims to create awareness about the rights of differently abled persons.
Swimming training for the visually challenged
Dharsana Society undertook a unique initiative of training the visually challenged in swimming so that they could participate in Paralympics events at state, national and international levels. 23 visually challenged persons were given swimming training with strict security and safety measures by professional coaches. The first-of-its-kind swimming training initiative in the state resulted in six persons being selected for national swimming competition. One among them won a bronze medal at national-level Paralympics swimming competition. It was a historic achievement, as it was for the first time the state of Kerala participated and won a medal at national-level Paralympics games.
Acts of Benevolence
Along with nurturing the sports and artistic talents of the people with special needs, it is also important to ensure that their basic needs are met. Under the leadership of Soly Kadambattuparambil Dharsana Society has taken up several activities to support people with special needs who are economically backward and unable to meet their basic needs and those of their families.
Dharsana Sneha Samgamam
Sneha Samgamam is the annual get-together of people with special needs, where they get to meet persons facing the same challenges as theirs and showcase their talents. The meet is held for four categories of people— wheelchair bound and bedridden persons, visually challenged persons, aurally challenged persons and persons with intellectual and development difficulties. As part of the meet, exhibitions of handicrafts made by differently abled persons are held. The distribution of financial aid, honouring those who have made exceptional achievements, motivational sessions, awareness sessions on various government schemes for differently abled persons are also held as part of the program.
Dharsana Basketball Team
Soly Kadambattuparambil took the initiative to form Dharsana basketball team after providing professional coaching to 18 orthopedically challenged persons, both men and women, in wheelchair basketball. Wheelchair basketball is a form of basketball played by people with varying disabilities. Dharsana Basketball team members were also provided with special sports wheelchairs for this sport-event.
Exploring the Possibilities of Social Media
Soly Kadambattuparambil observed that social media could be effectively utilised to bring together differently abled persons, especially in a situation where social distancing need to be maintained because of the pandemic. With the help of social media, a feeling of belongingness and being part of a community could be nurtured among the members of Dharsana Society. It could also be utilized as a platform where they could share their thoughts, ideas and concerns and also showcase their talents. So, he started the Dharsana YouTube channel.
White Cane Day
Every year, White Cane Day is observed under the aegis of Dharsana Society. As part of the observance, programs are organized to create awareness about white cane usage and sessions of safety are conducted for the visually challenged.
Online Competitions
During the pandemic period, Dharsana Society organized various online competitions for differently abled persons, which included floral carpet (pookkalam) competition, speech, photo session, singing, poetry and audio drama competitions. Online cricket competitions were also held.
Dharsana Fest
Dharsana Fest, an annual cultural fest exclusive for differently abled persons, is being held on the lines of youth festivals. More than competition, this event aims at enhancing the confidence and self-esteem of the participants. In the 2020 edition of the Fest, several eminent personalities including MPs, MLAs, judges and civil servants took part.
Vibhinna Mikavu 2022
Soly Kadambattuparambil also took the initiative to organize Vibhinna Mikavu 2022, a comedy-music-dance mega show that brought together differently abled artists and Kalabhavan artists.
Football teams for the visually challenged
Dharsana Society has organized two football teams for the visually challenged persons. One is for the partially blind and the other for the fully blind. The team members are provided with training so that they can participate in various state-level, national level and international level competitions.