EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Making a humble beginning, the Kendra started with one child and turned into a school consisting of 110 blind students. Education is given from Pre-nursery to S.S.L.C. in English Medium. The students are selected from the poorest of the poor families. They are given food, clothing, lodging, education and medical assistance at free of cost. The students are encouraged to take part in various cultural and sports activities both in State and National level. They participate in competitions like Singing [lyrics, folk songs, patriotic songs], sports like running, jumps, and cricket and in door games such as chess, essay competitions and quiz. Every year three children are awarded for getting the highest merit in the school.
Our school also arranges competitions for teachers of various schools and creates a stage to exhibit their talents. Every year children are taken out for educational excursions to enrich their knowledge. The places of historical importance, religious monuments and power generation plants etc. are shown and explained to the children. The school also possesses a Viveka Sharada Computer Training Unit to train visually impaired with a special software JAWS. High school students are trained in computers and are able to read their books on their own.
National festivals like Independence day, republic day, Gandhi Jayanthi, teachers day and children day are celebrated in the Kendra by inviting some guests and enlightening the children about the importance of the day. Some religious festivals like Dashara, Divali, Ganesha Chaturthi, Id Milad and Christmas are also celebrated with religious fervor and gaiety.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Every year the Kendra takes up the Survey in rural areas by involving its teaching staff to educate the village populations regarding the hygienity. The staff identifies blind children, who are in need of service and guides different disabilities to get the required help.
Adult blind children those who have competed S.S.L.C. in the school are given Vocational Training such as Dairy, H0rticulture Training, Phynoil and Soap Oil making etc.
(a) Dairy Unit:
At present the dairy unit has 10 cows and 3 buffalos and is capable of producing 80 liter. of milk for the inmates making the food more nutritious and creating a financial source to the Kendra.
(b) Horticulture Traing:
The visually impaired students are trained in maintaining a nursery. Here children will learn how to grow a plant and also maintaining it.
(c) Phynoil and Soap Oil:
Children are trained to manufacture phynoil and soap oil in order to generate fund and also make them self reliant. Finished products (Phynoil and Soap oil) are sold through out Shimoga places like Hospitals, Schools, Hotels, Bar and Restourents, Kalayana Mandir's etc.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
The children are educated and trained in arts like Dance, Drama, Tabla, Music, Yakshagana etc. to earn their livelihood. The Children give cultural mixed programmes of two hours duration if required by public. They are taught Tabala and Karnatak Music and are made to take exams in Junior, Senior and Vidvath. Yakshagana is a unique art of South Kanara in which our school is the only institution where the visually impaired are trained in this art. Up to now, our children gave nearly 150 programmes.
Providing free education, protection, rehabilitation opportunities, Vocational training to make the inmates self-reliant and self-respecting are the main objectives of the Kendra even after a long march, much is left to be achieved. Construction of separate Boys Hostel, Monk guesthouses, and universal temple are the few future projects on hand.
The Kendra is running under the public donation.
