Ainson Anthony
Aiming for the Stars
A Warrior fights his battles facing everything that life throws at him. One such warrior is
37-year-old Ainson Anthony. He runs a service center for bikes in Kochi. His primary duty is to wash all the bikes that come to the center. Ainson was the first born of his parents Mary and Antony. Like most of our children, he was not diagnosed at birth. His mother, often wondered why her son looked and behaved differently from other kids and was worried.
Rejected by mainstream schools
But her fears were confirmed when Ainson joined school. She had put him in a regular school. When he was in his 2nd Standard, his teachers said that he could not sit with the other kids. So they asked the parents to find a special school for him.
This was a big blow for Mary and it broke her heart to see her son play happily in spite of being sent out. But she did not let it hamper her spirit. She decided to enroll him at a school for children with learning disabilities called Raksha Society. It was among the first few schools for children with special needs in Kerala. Ainson joined Raksha Society when he was in class 2, and was soon counted among its most sincere students.
The caring and understanding teachers at Raksha Society helped Mary realize that she had done the right thing for her son. He was a fast learner and that made Mary a happy and proud mother.
For Mary, Ainson is who brought the change in her life. After watching her son’s phenomenal transformation at Raksha Society, she was motivated to do her bit for society especially persons with Down syndrome. Today she is one of the guiding forces there.
Man of many interests
Today Ainson, with the help of father Antony, successfully runs the bike service center. However this was not where he began. He started with a grocery shop where they realized people cheated him out of his money and neither was the job something that Ainson enjoyed. Then a small hotel was started for Ainson, but again that did not give him the impetus to perform. The bike service centre is an ode to his love for automobiles. And he loved every moment of it. There is a regular flow of customers, and Ainson is a busy, yet happy man.
It is not only bikes and automobiles that hold Ainson’s interest. He is an altar boy, dancer, singer, and social worker. A bundle of talent, this entrepreneur dons many hats! He has even won many prizes in dancing and singing competitions. The story of Ainson proves that a supporting family, understanding environment and determination to do well – that is the true pathway to success.
