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Ramani Damayanthi:
Dedicated for the sake of disabled
Professor Sunanda Mahendra
Special education in our country is not too deeply rooted and
recognized as a means to regard the disabled children look more skillful
in their day to day survival. Those who live with them, treat them well,
and look after them to be better citizens, are not honoured often. But
at times rare occurrences are observed.
Such is the case of Ramani Damayanthi who was honoured a few weeks
ago by the Junior Chamber International Sri Lanka for her services
rendered for special children over a period of 20 years. She was a
recipient of the award among the 10 outstanding young persons of Sri
Lanka (TOYP) 2009.
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Ramani Damayanthi |
Presently Ramani works as the Creative Director of THIDORA (Theatre
Institute for Disability Oriented Research and Advocacy). I had the
chance to meet her particularly to observe the type of activities
happening there. I saw Ramani quite busy attending to various functions
in her tight schedule. She gets up in the early hours of the morning and
comes to the Institute with her husband Rohana Deva, Chairman of the
Institution.
Both of them are basically theatre people, who harness disabled
children for theatrical activities, games, learning new skills, music
and dancing. Ramani had been a student who happen to learn the art of
being with children. While she was engaged in a studentship in London.
In the first instance she learned the general stage craft as a
choreographer and a dancer. Then she shifted her interest to the present
scenario with children. Ramani and Rohana happened to study theatre
craft under the guidance of their Guru Dhamma Jagoda, founder of Ranga
Shilpa Shalika. When they got married they wanted to have their own
academy for special children, which is a long story.
Born in Agalawatte, Ramani had her higher education at Gotami Balika
Vidyalaya in Colombo. As a school leaver she had one dominant interest,
theatre, and theatre alone, where her forte was dancing. She had been
the recipient of the Best Actress Award at the State Drama Festivals of
1996, 1998 and 2000.
"Time has come for me to concentrate more on my children." Says
Ramani referring to special children guided by her.
"I consider them as my own children" she responds. She takes her
function far more seriously than one observes. Even if a child is ought
in his/her mannerisms, Ramani would go close to the child and have a pep
talk trying to fathom the issue.
"True that I sometimes get tired and overburdened. But I have a duty
to be a teacher, guide and consoler to those children."
The latest venture on the part of THIDORA is to stage a play with a
mix group of players, consisting of several types of performers, and in
an experimental manner. The play is based on a narrative poem, the
original of which is written by Bertold Brecht.
"Gradually this play titled as 'Teyyatta' is getting into a good
form, and hopefully we will be able to perform it during the first week
of December 2009, before a serious minded audience, who so share our
ideology." |
