Stories of Change - Manisha

Manisha is a young girl enrolled in the crèche. Her mother performs glass-breaking work which requires dangerous physical labor and her father works as a daily laborer with unpredictable work hours. The family faces financial difficulties because her grandmother needs constant care since she lost all motor function in her body.

Manisha demonstrated first interest in the crèche but she remained silent during all rhyming activities and group activities. She showed few facial expressions and did not speak at all during her nonverbal and verbal communication. Concerned, the teachers reached out to her parents and then consulted with the HOPE special educator, who conducted an assessment. It was determined that Manisha had delayed speech development.

The teachers started doing specific speech and communication work with her to help her communicate through sounds and body language. With patient guidance and consistent support, Manisha slowly began to respond—and even started forming friendships.

Manisha spoke her first words during a group prayer session which turned out to be a pivotal moment for her. Her development speed increased after that particular day. She now sings rhymes with assurance while joining storytelling activities and building friendships at the crèche. She has developed the ability to identify fruits and vegetables and colors and numbers.

The parents of the child are thrilled to see his new development while teachers have noted his enhanced learning skills and better communication abilities. Manisha's life story demonstrates that early intervention through compassionate care leads to successful outcomes.