With training,deaf learn to be self-reliant

Kamboj,who is hearing-impaired since birth,is living in Khanna at a relative’s place so as to complete this course which was sponsored by National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC). The 6-month free course enrolled 20 deaf students who had come from various parts of the state. Apart from the free course,NSIC also gave a stipend worth Rs 2,500 to each student to motivate them.

Kamboj belongs to a small farming family in Faridkot,but his parents,and Kamboj himself,want him to make a mark. So after taking this 6-month course,he is ready to start with a personality development class and also an English learning class at the foundation.

Ravi Kumar,a trainer for these students,enrolled for the IT and personality grooming courses last year itself. Kumar,too,is deaf and hence he chose this institution so as to serve others who are similarly afflicted.

This foundation offers IT courses,self grooming,English,sign language etc to deaf students so as to make then self-reliant and this institute is “for the deaf,by the deaf”,says Era Wascon,who acts as an interpreter at the foundation. The Bija centre is being managed by Jetal Ramaya,who is the administrator,while his wife Rupa Ramaya teaches English to the students. “Both are deaf and have come from the south,but after getting training,they decided to assist the deaf so as to make them understand things in a better way,” added Era.

In fact,in this foundation,the entire staff is deaf. Era says,“We train them to travel alone. Now students are coming to this institute from Rajpura,Patiala,Mandi Gobindgarh,Ludhiana and even far off areas and most of them are now traveling alone in buses. They can do everything except hearing. So we are just imparting training to them.”

Era says,“Although the present NSIC course was free of cost with a stipend as well,but for our other courses we take a token fee so that parents as well as the students can understand the importance of the courses.”

AK Verma,Chief Manager of NSIC while talking to ENS said,“This is the first course which we have sponsored for these students,otherwise we have also conducted free courses for physically challenged students in Jalandhar for cutting and tailoring,mobile repair in Patiala,a course in accounting in Rajpura and a few more courses. We will conduct more courses in Deaf Way Foundation.”

Verma agrees that job placement is a big hurdle and of all the trained candidates in the past one and a half years,not more than 15 per cent have been placed in industries. He said,“Now we are taking up the matter under corporate social responsibility with the industries to employ at least one person in one factory. Because job placement is a must.”