Water babies: Volunteer teaches disabled kids in Thane how to swim

“Do you have any questions, I want to get into the water," asks Ravish Dobani, eager to start his class. Ravish is a health consultant and has been teaching swimming to disabled children of Holy Cross School, Thane, for the past year-and-a-half. Usually busy running his business, Ravish dedicates his spare time to volunteering.

He jumps into the pool and I watch him teach the mother of a severely handicapped child how to hold her daughter in the water so she can enjoy swimming in her own way. It doesn’t take long before another, less severely handicapped child comes over to help, and the trio no longer needs Ravish to enjoy their time in the water.

Ravish says he was introduced to voluntary work by a friend he met years ago at a school in Mulund, and who was already involved in volunteering. He realised that he also could spare some time helping children with special needs, and initially played music with them and took them out for small picnics.

“I met a 78-year-old lady from the UK, a nurse, who for the past seven years had been travelling around India by herself. She went to different parts of the country teaching others how to deal with and train the disabled. Meeting her had a big impact on me," says Ravish. He also says that it is possible to teach anyone anything — all you need is the will.

Physically and mentally disabled children are often kept isolated from society, and Ravish says he wanted them to get some exposure, and the opportunity to visit places that “normal children” visit.

His background as a fitness instructor led him to start training the children for the Special Olympics; and last year, 25 of the 30 kids he trained brought home medals.

Today, he has established two gyms to serve the needs of the special children at Holy Cross School. He initially teaches them the correct method of swimming in the gym with the help of appropriate equipment, and later, the children are taught to use these techniques in the pool.

Many children he works with have orthopaedic problems, and the swimming lessons helped change their posture and improve their strength and overall fitness. Some of them were also hyperactive and it was essential for them to have something important to focus their energy on. As a result, their hyperactivity through the day has reduced.

Other children used to have problems with their weight because of their limited ability to move. The fun and relaxing activities in the water have worked as a solution, and children who were overweight are now in good health.

“Come and look at this!” Ravish calls out from the pool. He shows me how a boy who was not able to use his right arm before has now learned to move it in the water. Today, this boy and several others have learned to swim without a flotation device. Furthermore, playing in the water with family and friends is a good exercise for the mind and body, no matter if the child eventually learns to swim or not.

Speaking to the parents while keeping an eye on what is going on in the water, one realises the significance that the swimming lessons have on the lives of these families.

“I have an autistic child who has always loved water and I used to take him to the sea. I came up with the idea to take him to a swimming school but no one accepted him because of his problem. Now, thanks to Ravish, he has got a chance to do what he loves, and he has learned swimming very well," says the delighted father of Pranjal Kulkarni.

“I have a nine-year-old special girl. People generally don’t think it is worth the effort teaching disabled children swimming. The truth is that they pick up new things fast, and once they learn something, they don’t forget it. Because of Ravish, our children also get a chance to learn,” says one of the mothers.

More people express the gratitude they feel towards the volunteers who help their kids, and praise Ravish’s dedication and persistence as a trainer. Many say they wish people would be more aware of the existing possibilities, instead of focusing on the difficulties. Disabled children can develop their skills and the learning process can be a joyful journey for the entire family.

Ravish keeps telling me about the methods he uses while teaching and about the future plans he has in store for the children. But the biggest obstacle that he perhaps faces is the shortage of volunteers right now. He points out to me, how many children cannot get the required independent attention because of the shortage of volunteers.

Two childhood friends help Ravish carry out voluntary work — Kanti Patel and Manvesh Sharma. He is looking for more volunteers who can help, pointing out that till some time ago, Kanti and Manvesh did not know how to swim, but today teach others how to do it.

Sometimes, all you need to donate is your time to make a huge difference in another person’s life. “A healthy mind lies in a healthy body” is Ravish's message, and he believes his programme is suited not only to disabled children, but also to senior citizens and can be expanded to other cities as well.

To volunteer for SOSVA, call 26555704/26411205, or email us at volact@hotmail.com.