Category: Background

Deepam’s evolution

It started out as a playground under the trees In January 1992, two Italian ladies from Auroville gathered children who were affected by disability in the local village of Kuilapalayam, in Tamil Nadu / South India, on the so-called ‘playground’ under some big tamarind trees. At that time, there were mainly children with learning disabilities […]

The meaning of our name

The meaning of our name: A typical earthen oil lamp is called a “Deepam”. Deepam means light or flame. We chose this symbolic name for our project because we intend to bring light into the lives of children who are challenged with disabilities. Traditionally in Tamil Nadu for centuries, the Deepam Festival of Light is […]

Diagnoses and applied therapies

In the local rural villages, we face all kinds of disabilities. Most common is learning disabilities, cerebral palsy and hearing impairment. Different types of muscular dystrophy are also common. We do also see children who suffer from hemiplegia and different congenital disorders. Down Syndrome is less common in these villages. Many children suffered from birth asphyxia […]

Challenges

The local villages are spread out. The roads are poor, and unsafe traffic manners make driving in India dangerous. Children with a disability are not easily transported on a bicycle or motorbike. Unlike in the West, the parents of our children have no cars. There is no public transport to our centre. Therefore it is […]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many children do you have at Deepam? What happens with the children who grow into adults? How is Deepam funded? How many children do you have at Deepam? Up to 30 children and youth attend our special education program for the full day, five days a week. Additionally, approximately 15 babies and small children […]