Visitors from Dooars at Prerna

Dear Friends,

We hosted a group of 12 visitors from Dooars Institute of the Disabled, a centre based in Jaigaon town of Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. There were children with disabilities, their attendants, staff and professionals who had come on a study tour to north India.

Fig. Team of Visitors at Prerna Niketan

The news of visitors  coming durign 10-11 March 2010 excited all the inmates. Though, many children were taking annual exams, they were equally jubilant about the opportunity of meeting friends from Dooars.  The visitors had been to Shantikunj, an ashrama called the Gangotri of 21st Century from where the Ganga of Knowledge flows to the world.

During the brief visit, a combined group of children  from Prerna and Dooars were taken for a local city trip to Qutab Minar – an accessible tourist destination, Garden of Five Senses and India Gate Lawns in the RTV Bus of Prerna Niketan.

Fig. Visitors at Four Steps School

Fig. Children at Garden of Five Senses

Fig. Heads of both organisations & supporters

On the evening of 10th March 2010, the children of Prerna Niketan held a brief cultural programme where they felicited the visitors with prayers and a Deep Yagya. Many wellwishers of Prerna Niketan and Dooars Institute of the Disabled had also joined in by the evening for the programme. Blind children from Dooars presented songs in chorus on “dhapli” which amazed the hosts. Children from Prerna also presented few songs.

Meenu didi, President, Prerna in her address impressed upon the need for cross linkages with similar organisations and praised the work of Dooars Institute and expressed the hope that they would also be able to visit Dooars under exchange programmes with Children.  She said, “visits to other places greatly enhances the awareness and confidence among the children and such programmes should be planned at frequent intervals.

Dr. Ranjana Sahgal, Principal- Adarsh Model School and a great supporter of social cause joined the evening chorus and felicitated the visiting team with token of love on behalf of the Host Team at Delhi.

Shri Ram Prakash Misra, the Chief Project Coordinator of Dooars Institute of the Disabled, who was accompanying the visiting team expressed his gratitude for the help extended in facilitating the Delhi Trip of children from Dooars. He also extended invitation to Prerna Niketan to come for a study trip to Dooars region with the children.