Giving wings to hearing impaired

10.02.2016, Vadodara: Nineteen-year-old Dishant Machi with 100 per cent hearing impairment never thought he would be able to earn a living for himself and his family.

But Maachi, who joined the program PANKH - Wings of Destiny, found a decent job at one of the prominent malls in the city.

PANKH an initiative by public charitable trust Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN) and the Youth4Jobs Foundation have trained several persons with disabilities in the city to get employment.

The initiative has trained 163 disabled persons in the city.

"The training opened an arena of opportunities for me. My parents are very proud of the work I do and my colleagues are very supportive. Life have changed in a positive way after I began working with a big organization," said Mitul Soni (23), a hearing impaired person, who is responsible for the critical task of code management at a store in a mall.

PANKH began its training centre in association with city-based NGO Sevatirth in May 2014.

The 60-day residential program is free for trainees.

"Our of 110 positions in retail industry, 36 roles are suited for persons with disabilities. Our vision is to empower more youth in the nation and help build an inclusive environment for them," said Nancy Desai, director TRRAIN.

"We have cases where youths who are double graduates are pushed into doing menial jobs due to their disabilities. We are helping them to find better employment and live with dignity," said Purushottam Panchal founder of Sevatirth.

"The two persons who have joined us through PANKH are exceptionally talented in fact they are setting an example for others to follow. They are easy to work with, focussed and do not fall prey to idling, gossiping or other distractions," said Deepak Kumar, deputy general manager of operations at a leading chain.

PANKH has trained about 2,450 youths across the country since its inception in 2011, out of which about 70 per cent are employed. TRRAIN is working towards building capacity to train about 10,000 PWDs each year.