“Life skills are as much or more important for the children with special needs as compared to the normal ones and it is the responsibility of the parents and the institution to inculcate them”, said the Managing Director of AES Technologies, Balaji Raju.

Speaking at the valediction of the District Level BOCCE and Badminton Skill Tests and Atheletic Meet organised by Special Olympic Bharat Tamil Nadu- Coimbatore District and Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Balaji said that the specially challenged children essentially require the 3S — Skill, Support (in terms of human support or infrastructural support) and Stamina coupled with self confidence to excel in life.

He further added that an institution and society at large are also vested with the responsibility of providing the 3Es Education, Employment and Empowerment to the physically as well as the intellectually challenged. Recalling an incident, he said that a visually challenged youth who was employed at the Tuticorin port was unable to carry out a physically exhaustive job like lifting gunny bags was unable to stick on to his employment because he was not used to jobs of physical exertion. “It is important to assist the specially challenged in building stamina as much as self confidence “, he added.

Calling Swami Abiramananda Maharaj, Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, an icon of inspiration, he said that Swami Abiramananda has been instrumental in inspiring students to greater heights. Prizes were distributed to the students who had excelled in various competitions at the close of the event.