“Invincible not invisible”

Included in the list of Gulf’s Most Inspiring Indians was Gulshan Kavarana, co-founder of Special Families Support (SFS) group. The Arabian Business Indian Power List featured the 49-year-old Dubai resident as the "Most Inspiring Woman.”
Trying to be "a blessing in someone’s life everyday,” Kavarana conveyed to Parsiana, "I try to live with purpose — to make a difference.” She believes that "one does not need incredible resources to impact another human being. One can and should make a difference by being conscious, by thinking of creative ways to make others feel good about themselves.” As she reiterates, "I am a woman/ Invincible not invisible/ A natural resource with unlimited potential/ I am important/ I want to see the change in society/ Given a choice,/ Given a chance,/ I will strive, achieve/ I will improve the special needs community/ And bring acceptance.”
When her second daughter Zara was diagnosed with Dravets Syndrome, Kavarana went through the stages of guilt, denial, self pity, anger, hopelessness and finally acceptance (see "An angel with broken wings,” Parsiana, March 21, 2006). In an interview with Aquarius magazine, (October 8, 2012) Kavarana acknowledged, "Although she doesn’t speak… Zara has taught me many things — how to face adversity, the real meaning of unconditional love, and courageousness. She is my angel. Zara is now 15 and over that period of time I have gone from ‘why me?’ to ‘why not me?’”
Never wanting "anyone to feel as alone as I once did,” in 1999 Kavarana along with Ayesha Husaini, formed SFS to bring together families of children with special needs. As she explains on their website, "Learning to raise a child with a disability can be a daunting task. Dealing with our own guilt based emotions, everyday struggles and societal pressures that come along with this unexpected responsibility is not easy. And to go through it alone can be overwhelming. We want to bring up our children with strength and dignity, but from where do we find the courage to go on?... Through the years SFS has grown from a small nuclear family to a large joint family… SFS would not be functional today without the immense support from Hanifa Salim, Jeroo Gupta, Tanaz Karanjia and all our volunteers and well-wishers.”
Meeting at least once a month, not counting the summer camps when they meet thrice a week, members of the group share their hopes, strengths and challenges. SFS focuses on coping strategies for the entire family, involving fathers, siblings and grandparents too. During the Dubai Shopping Festival and the Dubai Summer Surprises each year they organize fashion shows, dance performances and other fun events to create a greater understanding in society and to integrate families with or without children with special needs. SFS additionally runs a structured volunteer program for those ranging in age from six to 60 years.
SFS has now grown to over 500 families and has chapters in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Madras, Malaysia and Bombay. Spreading the motto of SFS ­­— respect, love and accept — Kavarana believes SFS has been most successful in empowering parents, especially the mothers who are no longer afraid or embarrassed to talk about their children or the problems they face. Along the way she has won other accolades: Princess Haya Award for Special Education in the ‘Outstanding Family’ category, Inspire Award for ‘Guardian of the Year’ by What’s On Dubai, and Ahlan’s ‘Hot 100’ people of the UAE.
A graduate in Applied Arts, Kavarana has been a long-time volunteer with the Dubai Centre for Special Needs and is additionally art teacher at Mawaheb, a studio for young adults with special needs that was set up in Al Bastakiya two years ago. As reported in Aquarius, Kavarana teaches her "special artists that art is like life — a blank canvas that forces us to face our fears, find solutions, take risks, make mistakes and accept that not everyone has to like it.”