Christmas for children with special needs too

Staff Reporter Dimapur, December 18 Thursday was a special day for children with special needs. On December 18, the children – orphans and children with special needs – gathered at a prayer home in Dimapur and welcomed the Christmas week. Not only welcome they did, but also left warm appreciation and memories in the hearts of those for whom they performed dramas and musical performances. An organization dedicated to the cause of children with special needs, the Special Olympics of Nagaland (SON) and Bethel Prayer Home collaborated to make the day a special event for the children, parents and well-wishers. The two organized a special pre-Christmas celebration for the special children and the orphans of the town at Bethel Prayer Home in Dimapur. Advisor and Chairman to the State Institute of Rural Development and Minerals Merentoshi Jamir attended the warm event at the prayer home as the chief guest of the occasion. Addressing the Christmas event, the former minister for Youth Resources and Sports said that the actual meaning of celebrating Christmas was now being forgotten by the people. He said people today were more concerned about sending and receiving gifts during the occasion and not on love, unity and peacemaking. The government leader encouraged the gathering to think deeply and contemplate upon the meaning and importance of Christmas; it is the duty of a true Christian to adhere to the essence of Christmas while sharing its joys with the rest of the world, Jamir told the gathering. In his message to the children with special needs and the orphans, Merentoshi Jamir encouraged them to ‘Be bold and live your dreams.’ The legislator encouraged them saying that support will voluntarily come from ‘everyone’ if they lived in the will of God. The celebration saw the children performing various depiction of the Christmas story through music, dance performances and short skits from the children and orphans.