Every small step forward by our kids here at Taarana, is a moment of celebration for us.  Each year, we make it a point to celebrate these successes with the parents, the teachers and well-wishers of Taarana through our annual concert.

On October 6, 2012, Taarana’s annual concert titled ‘Power of Dreams’ was held at the auditorium of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kuala Lumpur. 43 students of Taarana aged three to 17 wowed the 100 strong audience members with a series of performances that included dancing and music.

It was a poignant moment for everyone present as these children with varied forms of mild intellectual disabilities beat all odds to go up on stage in front of an audience and held their own.  They dressed up as animals and danced around a makeshift farm, they showcased their sense of rhythm by accompanying a classical music tune by beating their wooden sticks together. Some of them dressed up in traditional Malay wedding costumes to perform the Dikir Barat Anak Tupai. The show stealer was the rock ‘n’ roll performance where the kids boogied to 60s music in costumes reminiscent of Grease, the musical which had the audience cheering along.

The concert was graced by the Founder of Vijayaratnam Foundation, Dato’ Vijay Eswaran and his wife, Datin Umayal, the Chairperson of the Foundation and the driving force behind Taarana.

Dato’ Vijay Eswaran said, “I speak in different forums around the world, but it is always here at Taarana that I am bereft of words. Taarana is QI’s crown jewel.” Dato’ Vijay also praised the teachers of Taarana, without whose dedication and devotion to the children, such an occasion would not be possible.

“Taarana kids are not special kids, they are gifted and are gifts to us,” said Datin Umayal.

In a heart warming gesture, the kids presented a special photo collage of themselves to Dato’ Vijay who was celebrating his birthday the next day.

Each year we make a little more progress and it is our dream, to one day see our kids go up on stage unaccompanied and perform to a full house.