Making them specially-abled

‘Manochetana’ helps in the rehabilitation of physically and mentally challenged persons

Doddi Mallesham repairing bicycles near his house in Chunchunkota village in Warangal district. — Photo: M Murali

Doddi Mallesham, who lost mobility in his legs since birth, was confined to home after few years of formal schooling. He rarely saw the world outside his home as he could not move from his Chunchunkota village.

He was yearning for a tricycle to move out and do something for a long time. Thanks to the local youth Chukka Venkateswarlu, founder of Manochetana Rehabilitation Centre, Cheriyal, who not only presented a tri-cycle but also trained him in bicycle repair work, he is now on his own.

“It is like climbing the Mount Everest for me. Now I am earning Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 repairing bicycles at my home. I am able to move out and go to Cheriyal mandal headquarters,” Mallesham (26) told

The Hindu .

He was picked up by Mr. Venkateswarlu along with others suffering from similar deformities and trained in various vocations. Mr. Venkateswarlu also got them disability certificates that helped them benefit financially through schemes such as pension and insurance from State and Central governments.

Mr. Mallesham, sharing his joy, said he was elated at the tricycle that came as gift from Mr. Venkateswarlu. “For sometime, I collected milk from houses and deposited the same at a collection centre, thus earning monthly income. After being trained in cycle repair, I am self-reliant now,” he explained.

The Manochetana rehabilitation now accommodates over 100 mentally and physically challenged people up to the age of 30 years. Speaking to

The Hindu , Mr Venkateswarlu (40) said after completing his D.Ed and B.Ed in Special Education, he got a lucrative job at New Delhi in his early 20s.

However, he decided to use his education for the betterment of challenged people in his mandal and thus Manochetana was born in 1998.

Kadamanchi Venkata Narasaiah (40) was another person with crippled legs and confined to home in Vechereni village. After the intervention of Manochetana, he got a tricycle and set up a small provision stores at his village.

Mentally challenged Akhil Pasha (24) was trained for three years at Manochetana and later retained as office boy at the centre. “I get Rs. 4,000 salary here. I am married and have two children. I do all kinds of work here and am happy,” he said.

Mr. Venkateswarlu says in many families these mentally and physically challenged persons are treated as invalids.

However, with little interventions, they can be empowered which is being done by the Manochetana.