‘Every thread carries a mother's dream’: Kerala deaf school empowers families through skill and love

Palakkad: In the serene town of Ottapalam, a quiet revolution is unfolding at the Government High School for the Deaf — one stitched with care, community, and purpose. This academic year, students proudly walked into their classrooms wearing uniforms not bought from shops, but lovingly stitched by their own mothers.

It’s the result of an inspiring initiative launched by the school in February: the Thanima Production Centre, a modest tailoring unit set up on campus to bridge the gap between education and livelihood. What began as a skill development program has now become a story of transformation for both the students and their mothers.

“Our children, due to their inborn challenges, often take more time to grasp academics and language. Many of our alumni have found jobs in the government and private sectors, but we wanted to give the current batch something more — a skill for life. That’s when we began professional tailoring training,” said Minikumari V L, the school’s headmistress. “We soon invited the mothers to join, and today, we have a beautiful team of stitching mothers working hand-in-hand with us.”

The school caters to 50 students from pre-primary to higher secondary levels. All student uniforms were stitched by the mothers, six of whom now work full-time at the tailoring unit under the guidance of Sujitha PR, a teacher specially assigned to the project.

For most of these women, it was their first time using a needle and thread for something beyond their homes. Now, it’s become a path to empowerment.

“We hope this will lead us to financial independence,” said Saleena K V, mother of eighth-grader Muhammed Munavar. “Along with uniforms, we make cloth bags, purses, paper files, and handcrafted gift items. What we need now is support in the form of bulk orders. We’re hopeful the government and local bodies will help us sustain and grow.”

Saleena travels 70 km every day from Thrithala to Ottapalam, accompanying her son to school — a testament to the dedication of many families whose children study here.

The school itself is a nurturing space. With facilities like an audiology and speech lab, science and computer labs, interactive speech panels, a kids’ park, a playground, and even a vegetable garden, it’s a model institution for special education. A low student-teacher ratio ensures focused attention — one teacher for every five students — and specialized instructors for arts, sports, and science further enrich learning.

“For these children, many of whom face the world with quiet courage, learning to create with their hands is not just a skill — it's a source of pride,” said PTA president Sivasankaran M. “It empowers them with livelihood potential while instilling confidence, creativity, and self-worth.”

In Ottapalam, a school is silently stitching futures — one thread, one child, and one mother at a time.