Inspiration Fungama 2008

'A free race cannot be born of slave mothers', says Margaret Sanger and the Inspiration Family concurs. Inspiration is a Registered Non-Profit Organization working for the welfare of the developmentally disabled (autistics, mentally disabled and slow learners) and empowering the mothers for the last 13 years. The organization celebrated its Annual Day as Inspiration Fungama '08 on 4 October 2008 at the New Delhi YMCA Tourist Hostel.The special guest of the occasion was Smt. Poonam Natarajan, the Chairperson of the National Trust. The heads of several other organizations graced the occasion with their presence.The highlight of the program was an hour-long Kathak performance by the renowned French dancer Isabelle Anna. First trained in Kathak in France, Isabelle joined Kathak Kendra, where she passed Honours and Post Diplomas, as a scholar of ICCR under the guidance of Pt. Jai Kishan Maharaj, son of Pt. Birju Maharaj of the Lucknow Gharana. Isabelle enjoys sharing her passion with children. She has been actively supporting the children of Inspiration Centre, Tilaknagar, New Delhi. Her aim is not only to teach them Kathak, but through dance, enable them find a means of expression, and thereby improve their everyday life.The event also comprised of other items by the students of Inspiration Centres, from New Delhi and Dehra Dun. The students left everyone spell-bound by their enthusiasm and commitment which is rare even in the so-called normal human beings. Their innocent faces proved that they are really 'special'. Inspiration released a Souvenir to raise funds to build up the corpus, in order to expand the services in the hill state of Uttarakhand, where they have the first Group Home geared to autistics in India. Mrs. Singh also announced the launching of the NAV PRERNA PROJECT in Nainital on 25 September '08, in order to help mothers in the remote areas to form parent associations to help the special children, who do not have any services in the hills.The event was a delightful experience that helped to spread a smile and encouraged many to come forward and make a difference. These students are truly an inspiration for all of us.