Socially-appreciated Activities ‘We are also part of the society’: Services to Rural and Tribal areas: Awareness Creation
1. A team of 25 Staff members of Lebenshilfe together with 7 well trained mentally challenged people traveled to 6 revenue districts of Andhra Pradesh, presenting a humorous street play Soodi Mandu, under the stewardship of Saraswathi Devi Tallapragada, to educate the masses against 6 child-killing or child-crippling dangerous diseases POLIO, TUBECULOSIS, PERTUSIS,DIPTHERIA, TETANUS AND MEASLES. It is a mass education, emphasizing on the importance of preventive measures, against disability. Utilizing the limited talents of the retarded they are being taken into the society to bring them into the mainstream of life through theatre. Beneficiaries: over two lakhs of population.
2. The humanitarian activity taken up by the mentally challenged and their families together with the professionals, collecting used clothes, utensils, candles, match-boxes, bread etc. to help the cyclone victims of the neighboring state ORISSA’ caught the attention of everybody in the city. Mentally retarded went round in the streets with begging bowls and bags in hand, creating a sensation among the crowds which indeed touched every human heart in the city. .
3. A 3-hour cultural show with classical, semi classical and folk dance items, organized by the mentally challenged of Lebenshilfe at Hampi Open Air Theatre, in Shivaji Park, ( public park belongs to Municipal Corporation) in aid of Gujarat Earth Quake Victims, moved the hearts of one and all in the city. A spontaneous donation of rupees 12, 250/- collected from the audience was handed over by the retarded to District Collector for onward transfer to Chief Minister’s fund. This activity proved that retarded are also part of the society and they are prepared to share the happiness as well as grief with the fellow human beings.
