What I learnt photographing a school for children with special needs

Interacting with kids has always come naturally to me. In fact, to be honest, I enjoy their company more than my own tribe. They have a wild imagination, ask silly questions and will go about their antics completely oblivious of others. Moreover, there is no pretense to them, are ever curious and always itching to explore. Their innocence is almost envious. There is so much we could learn from them.

Over the past couple of years a good deal of the work I have done, is for NGOs who primarily work for the safeguard and education of children. It is a revelation each time you meet a new bunch of playful souls. So recently when I picked up a project in Mumbai for Atma, it was something I had never done before, photographing a school for the mentally challenged children.

I had no idea how I would fare. Would I be able be able to communicate well? Do justice to their cause? Or simply make a fool of myself? The answer lied, well, in taking the plunge.

The day I spent with them was a learning curve for me. For the teachers and the school staff who work with them, it is not an easy task. It takes a lot of love and patience to look after them and they do a wonderful job of it. It is heart warming to see the compassion with which they work.

The images I made here will always be priceless for me, simply for the smiles it brought on the kids faces. May the world be a brighter place, one act of kindness at a time.

What I learnt photographing a school for children with special needs