KOCHI: A Telesales Centre, of a mobile company, run by 22 visually challenged youth, was inaugurated by Mollywood star Fahadh Fazil on September 2. It is the first of its kind in Kerala.
Karthika, the visually challenged girl who scored 600/600 for the Plus Two state board examinations lit the lamp. District Collector Shri Mohammed Y Safirulla wished the initiative all success. Fr Jose Panthaplamthottiyil CMI presided over the function.
In his speech, Fahadh said that he is a fan of the great philosopher Jalaluddin Rumi and quoted him by saying, “Close your eyes to see the real world.”
Music Director Afsal Yusuff and Dr. Ansar C.A, both visually challenged, and who have excelled in life shared their experiences. Afsal appealed to their visually challenged not to expect favours in their professions as a matter of right. Others who spoke for the community were Mujeeb Rahman, who is employed with a hotel, and Althaf Hussain, an employee in the Telesales Centre. The students of the Aluva Blind School were also in attendance.
A music rendition was given by the SRVC three piece orchestra Heart 2 Heart, which is employed as the lobby band in Hotel Le Meridien and Aster Medicity Hospital.
The centre is being operated by the Visually Challenged Society for Rehabilitation of the Visually Challenged (SRVC).
M.C. Roy, Project Director of SRVC, said, “The purpose of the centre is to present successful youth from among the visually challenged and to get them to inspire others to come forward to take up mainstream jobs as well as to inspire potential employers to come forward to employ them.”
The SRVC and the Chavara International Institute for the Visually Challenged together run a Computer Centre for the visually challenged by using screen reading software which does away with the computer screen.