VARANASI: For most people Diwali is all about lighting up our lives with festivities and happiness. But for this group of visually impaired students from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), it is an occasion to spread light in the lives of other people with their self-initiated project 'Divya Shakti'. . http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Visually-impaired-spread-light-with-Diwali-candles/articleshow/55087122.cms . Working in an isolated, one-storeyed building in Bhadeini, this group of 14 visually impaired an partially blind students make candles and doormats with coconut fibre. The initiative is a brainchild of Abhay Kumar Sharma, who is a third year student of BHU's faculty of social sciences. .
. "With this project, we intend to teach special skills to people wjo are visually challenged and give them exposure so that they can earn a living," Sharma told TOI. . . Moreover, these students learnt these special skills from another visually impaired student, Ravi Kumar, who is also a second year student of social sciences. Ravi himself learnt the craft, while studying in a blind school in Durgakund area. . Satya Prakash Malaviya, a BHU student and an active member of 'Divya Shakti' said, "There is a misconception that visually impaired or differently abled people cannot do anything. With our work, we wish to tell people that there is nothing that we cannot do. We might not be able to see but we can still spread the light." . . IMS students Kameshwar Mishra and Saurabh Verma, arrange for financial assistance. It was Mishra's efforts that led to a collaboration with international NGO, Help The Blind, after which two of the group's students will receive scholarships this year. . . The students have prepared over two quintals of candles by working for over 17 hours a day for two weeks. The candles are being sold at BHU hostels and different locations in the neighbourhood. . -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
