Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 16: The 9th anniversary of Daya Special School, an affiliate of Capuchin Krishik Seva Kendra (R), was celebrated on February 14 at Daya School Premise. In this programme, the president of Capuchin Krishik Seva Kendra, Fr Robin Victor D'Souza, Ronald Silvan D'Souza the owner of Leksha Lighting Mangaluru, Rakshit Shivaram Best Foundation Beltangady, Praveen Fernandes Hallimane, Ujire, Murali Balipa advocate and owner Sunrock Balipa Resort Kuthrottu, Fr Vinod Mascarenhas director, Daya Special School, Fr Rohan Lobo, assistant director, Divya T V, headmistress, Daya Special School, children's representative Sumanth and others were present on the stage.
Divya, the school headmistress, gave a brief introduction of the journey of Daya Special School since 2017 and read out the school report of the year 2025-26.
Fr Vinod Mascarenhas gave an introductory speech and recalled how the school had grown from zero to a special school with 152 children, with the help and the cooperation of donor organizations and local dignitaries and kind hearted people of Beltangady.
Children who previously spent their lives confined to their homes, on mats and beds, are now eager to engage in different fields and achieving a lot. He thanked all the help and cooperation in all school activities, and wished that the government facilities will be available to the school as soon as possible, which will again help us to shine the lives of hundreds of children.
Murali Balipa, advocate and owner, Sunrock Balipa Resort, inaugurated the programme by laying a wreath at the Constitution of India. Fr Vinod is working to bring smiles to the faces of these differently able children who are today considered to be God's children. These children’s service is God's service. He prayed that God would give Fr Vinod Mascarenhas and the school staff the strength to continue serving these children.
Speaking later, Ronald Silvan D'Souza said, "Our life is like a school. Our learning is continuous. I am very happy by visiting this school." We have a lot to learn from every child here. We seek God in our religious centres. But the real God is in these innocent children. We can learn the values of humanity from these children. We will always support Fr Vinod Mascarenhas, who is serving these children. May God bless him and all the staff here and he wished them all the very best for their future endeavours.
Praveen Fernandes said, "It may be difficult for us to take care of our normal children in our houses." But handling hundreds of children with special needs here and responding to their daily needs in an appropriate manner requires a lot of patience and is not an easy task. The work being done by the staff of this school is commendable. I have had a long-standing relationship with the Capuchin friars. Their service, ethic and their lifestyle truly fascinate us. May the Lord give them all the strength to continue to serve these children well.
The chief guest of the programme, Rakshit Shivaram, said that today all the children have presented very wonderful programmes that have reached the attention of the people and created social awareness. The teachers have worked very hard to educate and teach each child, making this programme such a success. Fr Vinod Mascarenhas has been visiting me frequently for various school matters and has been continuously providing all the help and cooperation I can. He said that this will continue in the future as well.
Speaking from his chair, Fr Robin Victor D'Souza said that the school anniversary is not just a day of cultural programmes. Rather, it is a day to celebrate human spirit, courage and human values. The students have shown their determination and courage in every small step they take. These children are teaching society today the importance of love, compassion, and mutual support. The patience, dedication and continuous encouragement of the staff are making a huge difference in the lives of the children. He said that it is only with the support of parents, donors and well-wishers that this organization has been able to grow to such heights today.
Mark sheets were distributed to the children who passed the SSLC exam in the year 2024-2025. Prizes provided by Prithvi Jewellers Beltangady were distributed to children who had achieved excellence in various fields. Ibrahim, Dhanya, Revathi and Merin, who have served the institution for the longest period of time, were felicitated by the school management in recognition of their service. Later, Fr Vinod Mascarenas honoured all the guests who arrived for the programme with a small memento made by the children of the school.
At the end the cultural programmes were organized by the children that conveyed various social and traditional values. 123 children of the school and 200 parents and members of the Vimukti SHG Trust, and CKSK and Daya School staff participated in this programme.
Kiran, the office assistant, welcomed all the guests who arrived, and Raksha, the speech and hearing therapist, thanked everyone. Hemavati, vocational trainer managed the MC of stage programme, while Yatish, physiotherapist, and Sumanashree, assistant teacher, managed the MC of cultural programme.