Padmanabha Reddy
The student became the teacher.
Born in 1988 to a marginal farmer in Diguvapalli, Padmanabha could not hear from birth. He grew up shy and withdrawn. Today he teaches.
Lavanya
From a corner of a room to a mainstream classroom.
Left in a corner, unable to speak or walk properly, she joined us in 2009 at the age of eight. Three years later she won first place in the running race at a district sports meet at Tirupati — and then joined the fourth class at a mainstream school, in no way behind any other child.
Gayathri
Dull and unresponsive at seven.
Born in 1993 to a poor family in Thummarakunta, Gayathri was deaf from birth. She arrived listless and unresponsive. Velugu changed that.
Kumara Swamy
Deaf, unable to speak, and written off.
Brought to us at the age of five. He could not hear or speak and his all round development was very poor. His family could not afford any of the help he needed — so it was free.
Madhuri
A family that did not know what was wrong.
Born in 1991 in Madanapalle town. Her parents slowly realised their elder daughter's hearing was impaired. She came to Velugu at seven with poor speech and poor learning — and found both.
Shiva Kumar
Left at our gate at six.
His mother had died and he could neither hear nor speak, so Velugu was appointed his caretaker. He studied here from the first to the tenth class.
And nine more — Hari Krishna, Revathi, S. Prasad Reddy, M. Sunitha, Manoj Kumar among them. Each arrived with very little and left able to do a great deal.