Special summer camp

Kumi Daroowala of Rustom Baug is known as "Godmother of the Colony” for her four decades of committed efforts for various social causes, mentions a write-up from the Rustom Baug Senior Citizens’ Group forwarded to Parsiana via e-mail by Cyrus Bagwadia. One evening a young girl with special needs approached her and asked, "Aunty, why don’t you do something for us too?” This was the trigger for the three-day summer camp for children with special needs organized by the Group from May 11-13, 2012.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time in the history of our community in Bombay that a group of such children” has been brought together for such a camp, notes the write-up. Held in the gardens of Rustom Baug, the camp was conceptualized by Daroowala with the help of the Group (which too had been formed under her initiative and leadership). The Group reached out to ZYNG (Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation) and members of the core group of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet for differently abled children to assist in the endeavor.

Special children enjoy summer camp at Rustom Baug

Each day the participating children were brought by bus to Rustom Baug by their parents at 9.30 a.m. The buses were sponsored by Mazda Transportation. Om Creation at Worli, a vocational center that caters to such persons, was the first stop. The children mingled with each other and took part in various forms of arts and crafts activities, both a fun and learning experience for them, the write-up mentions. The following day the action was at Rustom Baug’s children’s park, which has been designed with differently abled children in mind. A sizeable crowd cheered them at the talent contest. There were tattoos, arts and crafts activities and horse cart rides. On the third and final day participants regaled the gathering with songs, dances and games.

"The summer camp was a real eye opener to one and all and it made us realize that these special children have no limitations if parents focus on what they can do rather than on what they cannot,” asserts Daroo­wala. She has already planned the next event, a talent contest — both physical and mental — for differently abled children in October, during the Diwali vacations, the write-up concludes.