ADVITYA 2018-19

Advitya is a creative centre for people with Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy and other such conditions. It was established in 2000 with an aim building their individual skills and confidence through learning different vocations and providing them and their families with a support system. Volunteers at Advitya help engaging the people through various imaginative and creative activities to develop their motor movement, hand-eye coordination and overall mental well-being. What makes Advitya special is that each student has different IQ levels and social skills which need to be accommodated for, and all the students are above the age of 18. The chance to join such a well organised NGO was really special for us. Every Friday, we plan an activity, gather materials and conduct a session with the people at Advitya. Each weekly session allows us to connect each student at a more personal level which has made our experience more meaningful. The usual structure of the sessions includes very enthusiastic greetings by the students when we enter followed by an explanation of the day's activity. After a simple demonstration, we split ourselves around the room and work with a group of five to six students and help them do the activity themselves, either by guiding their hands or giving instructions. Every session we plan engages the students in a different way. While our main focus is on arts and craft, we expand on this in various ways. We plan activities like lantern making near the time of Diwali and snowflakes and Santa dolls near Christmas. We even conducted finger painting and origami sessions with the students. We had two cold cooking sessions where we made bhel and sandwiches. We feel grateful for this opportunity and we hope to work with Advitya in the future.