Ekadaksha Learning Center
A unit of Ekadaksha trust
Special education for special children
The final part of our sports series - Basketball, was held on 9th of April 2025 at Alphonso Corporation Playground.
In the third term,the children were taught football and basketball.The children have been practicing at school every wednesday afternoon.They do warm ups which involve:
1.Jogging
2.Bounce and catch/throw
3.Chest pass
4.Dribbling - either 1 hand or 2 hands or bounce-hold
5.Dribbling and moving with the ball
6.Throwing in the basket(at a low height)
7.Putting tennis balls in a basket by stretching hands above head.
After these drills they would play a game along with their teachers.In this modified game of basketball,2 children played against each other,each using one ball.They would dribble/throw the ball until they came to marked line,from where they had to aim into the basket.Whoever threw a basket first got 2 points and the one who threw the second got 1 point.
For the tournament,the children were divided into two teams who played against each other.Mr.John,student of Physical training,played as the captain for one team while our teacher Priya was the captain for the other team.
John Anna gave the children few exercises as warm up and encouraged our children a lot.It is always a pleasure to see young people play with our children with fun,enthusiasm and no judgement.We are really grateful for this.
Every child played the game beautifully.Every child understood what had to be done and they were so excited.Sahana,one of our tomboys was jumping around when she put a basket while Sanjeev was running around happily.Even the smaller ones who weren't very familiar with the game played with help and got the hang of it.
The cheers,the liveliness and energy echoed on the court.The final winners were Ms.Priya's team with 32 points and the runners up were Mr.John's team with 28 points.It was indeed a fun and exhausting morning with all our children and teachers giving out their best and turning it a wonderful match.
Memorable moments:
"Strokes & Swirls" - An exhibition of artworks created by the children of Ekadaksha Learning Center happened on 30th of March 2025 at Geetham Banquet Hall,Chennai.
Art is a powerful and transformative tool for special needs children. It offers a path to self-discovery, emotional well-being, and enhanced communication skills.Through art, these children can break down barriers, build confidence, and unlock their incredible potential. Every stroke of the paintbrush, every swirl of colour, and every art they create represents a step toward a brighter and more fulfilling future.
Art can enhance motor skills, improve focus, and provide a non-verbal way to communicate emotions. Children can communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a non-verbal manner.Engaging in creative activities can be highly motivating for special needs children. It provides them with a sense of accomplishment and pride, boosting their self-esteem and encouraging them to continue exploring their creative talents.
Art not only helps special needs children; it empowers them to thrive.It takes extra planning, flexibility and creativity to make the arts accessible to our children.
This exhibition was to showcase the artworks and creativity of our children. It was also to emphasize that the children are capable of doing so many things if encouraged and taught the right way. Some products we made independently while some were done with the help of an adult.Some art works are the child's own creativity while some were done based on simple instructions.
These artworks were transformed into various useful products - Tablemats,Coasters,Keychains,Trays,Frames,Scribbling pads,Keyholders,Greeting cards.
Click here to view the beautiful artworks converted into vibrant products.
We are grateful to all those who visited and purchased the products. These products will adorn their beautiful homes. Thankyou for making a difference by motivating us and the children to do our best.
In the third of our sports series, a football match was conducted by us for our children with special needs. Every wednesday in the third term, the children have been learning to play football. They learnt to kick the ball, focus on the goal and play a simple game.
On 14th March 2025, a football match was conducted at Whistle - Urban Sports Hub. Four young footballers - Mr.Suresh Marimuthu (trainer and coach), Mr. Dilli raj, Mr. Pradeep and Mr. Shariq - were invited to play with our children. It was really wonderful to see them interacting and trying to help and motivate the children to perform well. The day started with fuelling up with yummy snacks from Disha's delight. After this, the children were ready to play.
First, we began with a quick warm up with the footballers, after which the match was played.
The children were divided into 2 teams which had a Captain, Co-captain and Vice captain. The Captains were Mr. Suresh and Mr.Pradeep, with their Co-captains Mr. Dilliraj and Mr. Shariq while the vice captains were the teachers Ms. Sumangali and Ms. Komathi respectively. Each team had 8 children. The format of the game was as follows: 1 child from each team would get ready at the start point. The ball was kept at the start point. Once the referee blew the whistle, the children had to kick the ball towards the goal. Whoever kicked the ball into the goal got 1 point. Each child got 3 chances. In case the ball went out of the set boundary, they would restart the game from halfway through. The children were divided in a fair manner as per their levels and were given prompts (verbal or physical) accordingly.
With the encouragement of the youngsters and the teachers, the children kicked the ball well. It was chaotic as sometimes the ball went in different directions instead of the goal. It was fun to make the children somehow get the ball towards the goal and score. One of the teams under the captaincy of Mr.Suresh and Mr. Dilliraj scored 13 goals and the other team under the captaincy of Mr. Pradeep and Mr. Shariq scored 11 goals.
Memorable moments:
Mr.Rajasekaran and Ms. Marijanne Joshi, well-wishers of Ekadaksha gave away the winner’s trophy and medals. We thank them for always supporting Ekadaksha and encouraging everyone to do their best.
Overall a nice experience for everyone, the main aim of this event was to expose our children to a sport, play on an actual football field, play with other people and not just their teachers and have a good time.
Click here to see photos of the football match.
Click here to watch the hightlights of the event.
Fun times and excursions are a part of everyone's childhood memories.School life isn't complete without excursion and fun trips.Children at Ekadaksha too enjoy having fun trips and excursion every year.This year they went on a trip to "Junglii - the petting zoo".
Everyone loves the company of pet animals.The chirping sound of birds,the soft touch of the furry friends like cats and dogs,cute farm animals like goats,hens,hamsters,rabbits, it was lovely to be with them. Their company is therapeutic and most of our children love being with animals.Hence the trip to Junglii gave them additional joy and they were all set to visit their farm friends on the 4th of March 2025.
The ride on the bus was a jolly one with music and snacks.Dancing and vibing to their favorite peppy songs made everyone so energetic and happy.Having yummy snacks (Sandwich,cakes,murukku and juice) was an additional delight for everyone.
Once they reached the spot,the children and teachers formed different groups.They enjoyed seeing Hamsters,Hedge dogs,cute bunny rabbits,different birds,a huge tortoise,hens,goats and finally cute cats and furry dogs.Some children touched the animals while some saw them and enjoyed.The Junglli team also helped by carrying the animals while the children touched them safely and enjoyed the soft feel of the animals.After seeing all the animals,they took group picture at the entrance and got back to school.
The day was full of fun, giving the children and the teachers lovely moments and memories to treasure forever.
