This NGO by former fashion designer is making differently-abled feel at home

Former fashion designer Madhu Tugnait has been investing her time, money, and love in Icha Foundation since 2010, nurturing 20 differently-abled children.

Monday September 09, 2019 , 6 min Read

Five-year-old Rani has a cleft lip and palate, and was born without a left arm. The fingers on her right hand are conjoined except for the thumb.

Differently-abled and abandoned at birth, Rani now goes to a normal school. Along with her is Mahesh, who is speech impaired, and eight others who were either orphaned or abandoned. After school, they return home - Icha Foundation - in Visakhapatnam.

Ten other children, who are either physically or mentally challenged, go through physiotherapy sessions from every day. In between, they are taught colours and other light topics through games and activities at a small special education centre in Icha Foundation itself.

Started by Madhu Tugnait (60), a former fashion designer, the Icha Foundation was registered as an NGO in 2010, which aims to foster security and dignity for the differently-abled kids. At present, it has 20 children and provides them with food, housing, medical facilities, and schooling.

A one-woman army

According to Madhu, the ultimate wish of the children was to have a home and family, and thus she named it Icha Foundation (Icha meaning desire).

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To begin with, Madhu sold a few of her personal assets and bought an acre of land, which was a waterbed. Resources were scanty and architects demanded an exorbitant amount of money. Few even advised against it saying the pursuit was not worth, but she went ahead with her ‘heart’s calling’.

Later, a friend of hers, who was an interior designer, connected her to an architect. “He helped me build the foundation, but he couldn’t understand what I really wanted. And when he started building the structure, I was constantly questioning the way things were,” Madhu recalls.

Finally, she had to let go of him and took matters into her hands and hired a few masons from the village. The foundation laid for the five cottages had taken away a lot of space. Hence, she turned to internet magazines on interior designing to take ideas and play around with the remaining space.

“Whatever fancied me, I’d take a clipping or draw it out on a piece of paper and go out the next morning and explain it to the masons,” she says, recollecting the baby steps that had gone in building Icha Foundation.

She persisted on her own idea of the home (the cottages) because Madhu had been picturing this for some time. It contained a whole lot of freedom, space, nature, and animals. Madhu says, the picture became an obsession and followed her day and night.

She hoped to build mud homes, but was advised against it as the structure would fall in waterbed areas. However, it took a year and a half for the construction, which was started in 2011, and they moved in April 2013.

The inspiration and fulfilling the dream

Despite the challenges, one constant in Madhu’s life was her admiration towards Bollywood celebrity Nargis Dutt, who was running a foundation for the differently-abled. It was in the 1970s, and naturally, an excited 25-year-old Madhu paid a visit to volunteer.

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The actress was apprehensive of the request, but asked Madhu if she was willing to do anything for the kids from 9 to 5, who was interested. When asked if she had any idea about kids with spastic and mental disorders, Madhu replied she had seen enough movies about them. Still, Nargis asked her to go inside the foundation, take a look, and decide.

Madhu walked inside and saw the condition. The whole room stunk of urine and vomit. “It was a mixed feeling for me, of compassion, and this part which I was not ready to handle,” she says.

“I told her I’ll be back in a week, but never went. But the seed was sown at that time,” she adds.

Of kindness that began at home

Before the foundation was ready, she brought three children to her own house in April 2012, and by September she had five children in total. Three of them were babies, and the other two were around four to five years old.

Madhu found these kids from the Women and Child Welfare Centre because she did not have the licence to pick up children from the street. She recalls being nervous. Her first visit to Nargis Dutt’s foundation resurfaced, but she stood the ground and advised herself that she’s not 25 anymore.

Additionally, it occurred to her, “While most get adopted, the ones who are mentally and physically challenged do not stand a chance. So, I was among the first to take these kids and make a home for them.”

Her idea, Madhu says, was of an integrated home for orphans, destitute women, and elderly people to create a more homely place, but that didn’t fall through as it would require multiple licenses.

Creating an inclusive environment

But for all the children living in five cottages of the foundation, the last of their activity is to enjoy outdoor. While some are seen on playgrounds, those on wheelchair go for a stroll with caretakers. A huge lawn within the foundation, which Madhu had designed to add greenery to the place, has two swings, cows, and a wide range of birds. Sometimes, they are taken to the park and swimming pool outside the foundation.

The foundation, which is currently raising 20 children, was initially run on donations from her network of friends and family. However, now, more people are helping her through options like sponsoring a meal or providing meals for a day.

They are not allowed to give outside food as Madhu sticks to an organic diet. Instead, they can pay for the meals’ expense and see through the process, including feeding the children.

Before starting Icha, Madhu worked for Mumbai-based YZ Embroidery and had her own boutique for close to 18 years. With an offer to work at non-profit called Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, Madhu says she left the key to her loyal tailors. And since then, there has been no looking back. Madhu decided to go all the length to make a comfortable home for the orphaned and abandoned.

Going ahead, she wishes to build a special education centre for the children of farmers and others in the nearby villages who find it difficult to go to school. According to her, the facility will be built on another acre of donated land, next to Icha Foundation. She plans on building a yoga centre, and other activity rooms where children can learn painting and dancing.

Madhu also hopes to get a psychologist on board for both the parents and their children. Currently, the idea is in its infant stage and is looking for samaritans to help in the way.

(Edited by Megha Reddy)