A helping hand

When I first decided to volunteer at the Special Needs Families (SNF) summer camp held annually at the Indian High School, Dubai, I was a little sceptical about what I was going to experience.

After all, the picture that society has left etched in our minds of the ‘less capable' isn't all that appealing. In this ultra-competitive world, there seems to be little room left for those who are even a tad bit slow to catch up.

But SNF seems determined to alter, if not contest, that notion. SNF has knitted itself together as a tiny, culturally diverse community, harnessed by a single unifying factor — a special needs member in the family.

Founded nearly seven years ago as a small home-based support group, the foundation has quickly expanded to influence several lives, and opened its first Children Development Centre in 2007.

As I walked in their midst at the summer camp, I realised how a little care and attention could transform their lives and help them become capable and interactive human beings who, besides perhaps a few snitches of unusual behaviour or physical differences, seem like just any other loving and zealous child in their age group. The summer camp provided me with insight into a cause that has become a lifelong endeavour for many who are part of the foundation.

Such activities play a crucial role in giving a chance to the siblings of special needs children to interact with them and learn more about them, while the mothers bond over various discussions that range from treatments and therapies to even leisurely activities like making salads.

To learn more about SNF, and how you can volunteer or contribute, visit www.snfgroup.com.

 — The reader is based in Dubai.

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