Adversity Inspired Her To Help Mentally Challenged Kids

Nitin A. Gokhale September 25, 2000 00:00 IST Adversity Inspired Her To Help Mentally Challenged Kids -0001-11-30T00:00:00+05:53

It's not everyday that one comes across people like Meera Kagti - in whom adversity inspires a sense of service and philanthropy. It all began in 1987, when Meera found herself completely at sea when it came to handling her four-year-old nephew Amit Barua. The doctors' diagnosis was that he was suffering from cerebral palsy (CP). Meera soon discovered that this sad fate had not befallen her alone. Another family friend of hers was facing the same problem with her child.

Luck, however, was on Meera's side. She soon bumped into Brinda Crishna, a trained hand from the then Spastic Society of Eastern India, Calcutta. Brinda had accompanied her husband, working for a tea-brokering firm, to his posting in Assam.

Their encounter was providential but then on Meera and Brinda left nothing to destiny. The two got together and began Shishu Sarothi, an organisation to help mentally challenged children like Amit, in a one-room house. Today, Shishu Sarothi has grown into the Spastic Society of Assam, thanks to the perseverance of Meera and her band of dedicated...