At this 25-yr-old institution for the hearing impaired, the library is called Whisper, the café is named Decibel. The school itself is named after 1972 Sanjeev Kapoor starrer Koshish

What's the first image that comes to your mind when you think about a school for the hearing impaired? Many would conjure up images of a child and a teacher gesticulating to each other, using sign language.

At Koshish, however, you will find neither child nor teacher communicating that way. This private institution, which provides free education to the deaf, insists on building children’s speaking skills, and enhancing their ability to lip read, also imparting a

sense of independence in the process. “We want to remove some false notions. These children can be taught to speak,” says Dr Ajay Kothari, an ENT specialist, and founding trustee of Koshish.

Kothari started building on his dream of creating an institution for the rehabilitation of the hearing impaired, in 1983. After his friend, the late actor Sanjeev Kumar, suggested ‘Koshish’ as a name after the 1972 Bollywood hit, the first school was set up, with 30 students to begin with. Three schools later and several years later, the institution has grown tremendously.

“We now have a 20, 000 square foot centre in Malad with over 130 students,” says Kothari.

Students at Koshish study up to the SSC level and are given free hearing aids, which would otherwise cost them Rs 22,000. They are also given vocational training in tailoring, screen printing, photography, public speaking, hair styling, along with classes in yoga, aerobics and martial arts. “The basic idea is to make them independent. They can get jobs, or start their own businesses. They also write an exam that is certified by the government. If they want to continue with college, we help with 50 per cent of their expenses,” says Kothari.

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