By: Ashley Grant
Manager of Fundraising & Corporate Relations
MukiBaum Treatment Centres
[monssonJournal.com] Everybody dreams. Some of us dream about owning a big house, driving a luxury car, having a family, and simply “living the life.” People with Autism may just want to smell a beautiful flower and understand what it is, listen to a conversation and comprehend what was said or hear a sound and not feel the need to cover their ears. Dreams come in all shapes and sizes; providing hope to everyone regardless of ability and physical well-being. For over 28 years, MukiBaum Treatment Centres have been striving to make dreams come true for the people we serve.
Founded in 1979 by Dr. Nehama Baum, MukiBaum Treatment Centres provides children and adults who have complex disabilities with innovative treatment and a nurturing environment to discover their talents and abilities, actualize their potential and become a contributing member of society. Over 50% of the people we serve have Autistic Spectrum Disorders; all of whom are dually diagnosed with developmental and or emotional psychiatric disabilities.
As a parent of a son, Muki, who has Cerebral Palsy and is also deaf, as well as an adopted son with Down Syndrome, Dr. Baum is very aware of the hardships that families go through to provide the best quality of life for their children. Recognizing the need for support and education in the field of disabilities, she committed her life’s work to helping others. Dr. Baum developed the Multi-Focal Approach which is implemented in all of MukiBaum’s programs. It is a person-centred, unique holistic approach that focuses on the person within on an emotional level enabling inner mobility, change and self-actualization. As a result, the people we serve are able to find fulfillment, feel accepted, loved and valued.
MukiBaum prides itself on finding out what the people we serve are passionate about and then providing the tools to ignite that passion. For example, one young man with severe autism and who is completely non-verbal came to us once many years ago. His family was aware of the fact that he had an incredible talent with paper cutting. However, before coming to MukiBaum, the people who worked with him considered it to be an obsession and therefore did not provide access to scissors. When he came to us, MukiBaum staff allowed him to explore this talent and we quickly realized that this young man had incredible abilities not only for scissor art, but painting, needle pointing and countless other crafts. Art is his passion, and more importantly, is the most valuable form of communication and expression available to him. The arts always have been and continue to be a very important form of therapy and artistic expression for the people we serve.
About a year ago, Srimathi Geetha Yogendran, who founded Narthanalaya, The Canadian Centre for South Asian Dances in 1985, approached me. There is no question that she is passionate about dance, but her true passion lies in helping children in need. She explained that many parents in the South Asian Community who have children with disabilities, tend to shy away from allowing their children to integrate into the community due to the fact that they are having a hard time dealing with the reality of their situation. Geetha said that many times over the years, parents have asked if their child, who happens to have a disability, can come and dance when no one else is around! She tried to explain to them that there is nothing to be ashamed of and that all the children, regardless of ability, should dance together. The mere thought of the isolation was heartbreaking to her.
MukiBaum and Narthanalaya decided that there is an overwhelming need for awareness within the community; awareness that help does exists, families are not alone and places like MukiBaum are here to make sure support, education and treatment are available. In late November, many of the dancers came to MukiBaum’s Toronto Children’s Program to give a workshop to twenty of our students who have various disabilities. In the beginning, some of the children were hesitant, since the dancers were dressed in traditional clothing and the music was different from what they were used to. However, as soon as they began to teach the children how move graciously like a deer, form a beautiful flower with their hands and flutter around brilliantly like a butterfly, the smiles on their faces were magic. Not only were they exposed to a new form of dance, they learned about the South Asian culture, were introduced to the scents and traditions of India and danced one on one with “new friends.” The overwhelming positive response from the children as well as the staff clearly meant that this will be the first of many workshops to come. Soon after this workshop, MukiBaum and Narthanalaya gave one to parents from the South Asian Community and we intend on hosting many more.
We have been working with Narthanalaya for over a year to organize a large fundraiser called Tree of Dreams, Branches of Hope. It is a theatrical dance production featuring the classical dances of South India; Bharatha Natyam and Kuchipudi. It is taking place on the Main Stage at The Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street) on Saturday, February, 24th, 2007 from 6:30 – 9:00 pm.
Written, choreograph by Geetha Yogendran and performed by Narthanalaya, Tree of Dreams, Branches of Hope is a dance that follows the trials and tribulations of two twins whose lives are characterized by the typical stages of life. It illustrates the hopes and dreams of the twins, who suffer hardships of separation as they reach adolescence. It is not until adulthood that the twins’ paths cross again, when the actions composing their individual lives lead them home to each other.
All proceeds from Tree of Dreams, Branches of Hope will go towards MukiBaum establishing a permanent dance program within its treatment centres. Dance and movement play a fundamental role in everyone’s life. It has an especially valuable role in sensory therapy for people with complex disabilities. It provides the people we serve with a crucial vehicle through which they can express their emotions, create awareness of their bodies in space, and learn to relate to themselves and to others. The rhythms, patterns and coordination help improve focus and develop a sense of structure when everything else in their lives seems chaotic and overwhelming. Thanks to dance, the people we serve are able to improve their self-esteem, confidence and truly learn the meaning of having “fun.”
We sincerely hope that the community will come out and support this crucial cause. Tickets are available for $30.00, $50.00 and $100.00. We are also looking for sponsors, donors and volunteers to come on board. Should you be interested, please contact Ashley at 416-630-2222 ext 228. Together we can make dreams come true!
To find out more about the programs and services offered by MukiBaum Treatment Centres, visit www.mukibaum.com. To find out more about Narthanalaya call Geetha at 416-824-8847 or visit www.narthanalaya.com.
Tickets are on SALE NOW at www.ticketmaster.ca, by calling 416-872-1111 or at the Toronto Centre for the Arts Box Office located at 5040 Yonge Street, Toronto.
