Mysuru: Breakfast service launched for children with hearing and speech disabilities

A breakfast service for children with hearing and speech disabilities visiting the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) for treatment was launched on the institute’s Panchavati campus here on Tuesday (August 18).

Mysuru Zilla Panchayat CEO Yukesh Kumar inaugurated the initiative, jointly undertaken by AIISH and the Akshaya Patra Foundation.

ISKCON’s Stoka Krishna Swami said the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which provides free midday meals to children in government schools, was expanding its services to disadvantaged people and persons with special needs.

He said Akshaya Patra currently provides midday meals to more than 20,000 government schoolchildren in Karnataka under a joint initiative of the State and Union governments and the foundation. Building on the success of the programme, the organisation was taking up several initiatives to support poor and differently-abled persons, he added.

The organisation was committed to expanding such initiatives and providing continued support to children with hearing and speech disabilities and other needy sections of society, he said.

AIISH director Pushpavathi said the institute had considered the needs of children and their parents visiting the facility and felt the need to provide them with a fresh and nutritious breakfast in the morning.

The Zilla Panchayat CEO took special interest in the initiative and facilitated discussions with the Akshaya Patra Foundation to arrange the breakfast service, she said.

She said the initiative had been named ‘Akshaya Patra’ with the objective of ensuring that good deeds and selfless service continued without end.

Officials and staff of AIISH were present.