August/September 2017 www.womanthismonth.com showcase 12 In 1987, four members of the Indian Ladies Association came up with the idea of starting a play school for special needs children and, lo and behold, Sneha was born – a name meaning love. Since then, what began as an informal group has grown into a bustling, busy and vibrant school where children with special needs are lovingly nurtured, cared for and taught. The beauty of this centre is that it is, in the true sense, a melting pot where children from different nationalities and backgrounds are accepted, completely free of cost. Staffed by qualified teachers, alongside a group of dedicated volunteers, a typical day at Sneha is an eclectic mix of activities designed to stimulate the students’ minds and bodies in order to tap their full potential and challenge their abilities. The day begins with a prayer song, followed by other motivational songs. Simple exercises, scientifically designed to stimulate the metabolism, are followed by yoga. When it’s time for study, the students are split into classes according to their learning levels, aptitude and abilities. A prescribed syllabus, specially designed to suit individual requirements, includes functional literacy and numerical, social and self-help skills as well as arts and crafts. Each day is designed in such a way that there are different activities to look forward to; there are painting days, cooking days, singing and dancing days and games days. To stimulate motor skills and sharpen brain activity, the children are regularly given quizzes and puzzles to solve using a regularly updated stock of educational toys. As an institution that has changed the lives of hundreds of children celebrates its 30th anniversary, we take a look behind the scenes. INTERCOL A DAY IN THE LIFE Mrs Al Wazzan at a celebratory event A spokesman says: “At Sneha we believe that education should not be restricted to the four walls of the classroom and hence students are taken once a month on educational trips and outings. Students keenly look forward to these picnics where they get a chance to broaden their scope of learning and channel their excess energy.” Students receive vocational training and experts also train the volunteers and teachers. The youngsters are exposed to the joys of nature and the rhythm of life outside the centre. They are encouraged to explore their minds and feelings and transfer their thoughts to canvas with the paintings transformed into greetings cards. Sneha regularly holds exhibitions of the students’ work and the sale of the paintings and greeting cards helps pay towards the upkeep of the centre. Sneha’s costs are covered entirely through fund raising activities and events and donations from both private individuals and corporate bodies, such as Intercol. Lynne Al Wazzan, the company’s charity chairperson, has been a longterm supporter and champion of the centre. In celebration of the landmark 30th anniversary, the Sneha team has a powerpacked agenda spread over the entire year. There was a fun-filled family day for students and their loved ones earlier on in the year, which was attended by Mrs Al Wazzan, and the children also marked Green Day by planting seeds in painted pots they had made themselves. After the long summer break the youngsters will then be involved in several events - the Sneha Writing Competition, Sneha Sports Day, Sneha Art Exhibition and finally the Sneha Annual Day. The essay competition is scheduled to be held in September 2017 and various schools from Bahrain will be taking part. Next in line is the drawing competition for children from special needs schools, which will be held in October. An Assisted Art Painting Exhibition is scheduled for November 3, which will showcase and sell around 80 paintings, and the festivities will culminate with the Sneha Annual Day on December 7.
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