Being deaf came across as a blessing in disguise for Karthik Verma, a 12-year old prodigy from NOIDA who became the youngest Kung-Fu trainer in India. Let’s witness his incredible journey at Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan, a school for special children.

When he enrolled in MBCN in 2008, nobody knew that he would not only excel in the academics, but also surpass many people’s expectations in extra-curricular activities as well. With persistent efforts, he won many competitions at MBCN and then went on to collect prizes at several inter-school events.

Not born with a silver spoon, he managed to clinch the title of an international level Taekwondo player as well as an inter-state Karate champion. His passion for Kung-Fu led him to become its youngest coach in India. Isn’t that incredible? But his winning streak doesn’t end here. Now, he plans to go to China to get further training in Kung-Fu at the famed Shaolin Temple and become a Shifu i.e. a Shaolin Kung-Fu Master.

MBCN, a special school for hearing impaired in Delhi NCR, affiliated to Ponty Chadha Foundation, a philanthropic wing of the Wave Group, takes pride in its students. Here, besides special education, he also opted for play and recreation, extracurricular lessons and an occupational therapy, under the expert guidance of teachers at MBCN, a special school for deaf children.

Myths Holding Us

The problem needs a particular attention in India as special children are often mistaken for being mentally disabled due to lack of public understanding. Deaf children are also attacked with stereotypes such as being mentally disabled and are thought to be incapable to meet the challenges of life. But then, reality is somewhat different.

When we look at the lives of children like Karthik Verma, our hearts swell with pride and honour. As an institution, we feel our efforts are bringing the necessary #WaveOfChange in their lives and this inspires us to outperform our own actions. 

At MBCN, we treat every child equally and provide them with equal care and opportunities, so that they become equipped to face the worldly challenges. We try to shape their personalities and induce a positive environment which acts as a catalyst in motivating and inspiring these children. We even give them an outlet to hone their talents and latent potentials through active participation in extracurricular activities. 

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Losing one sense heightens the other senses. Children like Karthik are blessed with immaculate sense of sight and observation. They notice even slightest of visual cues that you or I could miss out easily. As a special school for deaf, it becomes our responsibility to hone their visual power and interpretation to channelise their physical energy in a better way.  To do so, we engage them in various extracurricular activities like choreo-dancing, martial arts, etc.

To sum it all, it becomes essential for us to empower the deaf students’ right from their initial years with proper care, education and extracurricular activities. At MBCN, it is our motto to churn out more talented children like Karthik Verma and give them a platform to showcase their talents to the whole world.