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July - September 2021

COVID Helpline for the Visually Impaired

In the wake of the second wave of COVID 19, the Blind Relief Association responded by launching a Helpline for the Visually Impaired on 28 April 2021. Through this Helpline the team reached out to the visually impaired persons and their families in distress and offered them the needed psychological/medical counselling; got them connected with hospital/medical services, and as far as possible provided basic medical kits and ration.

Starting its services primarily aiming the visually impaired and their dependent family members, the Helpline expanded its scope to extend wherever possible help to persons with other disabilities as well. Through a network of individuals, groups, and organizations the Helpline reached and provided guidance and assistance to the needy in different states across the country. A special word of praise for the alumni of our JPM school who played an active role in formulating and managing the services with the support of the Association's staff.

An overview of the services provided is given below:
◈Ration – 401 (1279 beneficiaries)
◈Medical Assistance - 53
◈Information - 33
◈Counseling - 6
◈Others – 19
◈Vaccination- 263
Total no. of calls - 775 (1653 beneficiaries)

As an important part of educating the team and the community, the Helpline organized a series of eight (8) webinars during the pandemic inviting eminent experts. In July and August, the Helpline hosted three more online events which were greatly appreciated.

1. Presentation on 'JPM School's Journey through the Pandemic' by the school principal and teachers on 9 July 2021.

2. Webinar on स्वस्थ और निरोगी जीवन की सुलभ कुंजी: योग और प्राकृतिक चिकित्सा (Yoga and Naturopathy: Keys to a healthy and wholesome life) with Dr. Navdeep Joshi, Asst. Professor, Department of Yoga, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University on 17 July 2021.

3. Webinar on “Dealing with Post-Covid issues” with Dr. Mathew Varghese, Former Director, and Consultant, St. Stephen’s Hospital, Delhi on 14 August 2021.

COVID Vaccination

The Blind Relief Association's COVID Helpline Team collaborated with hospitals, organizations, and government centers to get the pupils, staff of the Association & Helpline, and their families vaccinated. The Helpline joined hands with Max Hospital Saket; Apollo Hospital Jasola; National Association for the

Blind, New Delhi; and the government vaccination centers at Govt. School, Pandara Road and Sarvodaya Vidyalaya No.1, R.K. Puram and vaccinated a total of 251 persons between July - September 2021.

Class X & Class XII Results

Students of the Association’s JPM Senior Secondary School, yet again this year registered excellent performance in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) final assessment of their respective Class X and XII results.

All 20 students of Class XII in the JPM Senior Secondary School for the Blind passed the final exam 2020-21 with first division and five students scored above 90%
Topper Shivam Kakkar 95.2%
II - Shashank Gupta 94%
III - Sachin Kumar 93.8%
IV - Sunil Kumar Lohiya 92.8%
V Nikhil Srivastava 92.2%

JPM School students also registered impressive 100 percent success in Class X CBSE results. 20 students passed in the first division and 2 in the second division. 6 students scored above 90%
Topper - Prince Kumar 92.8%
II - Rudransh Rastogi 91.2%
III - Mukesh Gaur and Aviral Pratap Singh 90.4%
IV - Abhinit Kumar Pandit and Vishal Kumar 90.2%

In addition, seven and three vocational trainees cleared the Class X and Class XII CBSE examinations respectively as private candidates.

Heartiest congratulations to the students, trainees, teachers, and trainers for the hard work, especially in this challenging pandemic period.

Our Masseurs at Select City Walk

Professionally trained visually impaired masseurs groomed at the Blind Relief Association are available daily at Select City Walk since 10 August 2021. If you happen to be around Select City Walk, don't miss the relaxation massage offered at a very reasonable price

Independence Day

Independence Day celebrations is another big annual event at the Blind Relief Association with the flag hoisting, school band performing and a chief guest addressing the students, trainees, and staff. However, this year due to the ongoing pandemic we missed the school students at the 75th Independence Day celebrations. Nevertheless, the vocational trainees and computer trainees joined by the staff were there to enthusiastically celebrate the national day. After the national flag hoisting ceremony and lecture by the Executive Secretary, the trainees in displaying their talent presented patriotic songs, poems, which included some of the items composed by the trainees themselves

Janmashtami Celebrations

The Janmashtami celebrations at the Blind Relief Association is one of the awaited moments of the year for the students and alumni. However, this year, it was a new experience due to the new events planned in a different format amidst the COVID protocols.

The Class XII students in collaboration with the alumni, who are also a part of the COVID Helpline team run by the Association planned and executed the celebrations on 30 August in the Gandhi Hall of the Association. Besides the limited number of students and alumni who could visit the Association, many others joined the event live on Zoom

It was a day-long event at B.R.A. which started off with the students and alumni reciting the Sundarkand, instead of round-the-clock recital of entire Ramcharitmanas (as it used to be done in the past). The afternoon was filled with online and offline cultural programmes such as bhajan, poetry and skit. Some parts of it were relayed live on YouTube. The final and most exciting event was the “Dahi Handi” participated by the students. The day ended with the distribution of prasad.

Though the gathering was small compared to the previous years, the day was filled with joy and excitement for everyone who joined.

TISS Alumi's Meet

The Alumni Meet of TISS, Mumbai (Tata Institute of Social Sciences टाटा सामाजिक विज्ञान संस्थान)'s Delhi Chapter was held at the Blind Relief Association on 19 September 2021. Around 20 alumni members participated in the Meet. A unique feature of the meet was that the TISS alumni met and interacted with the staff and trainees of the Association to get to know about the range of activities of the BRA. The alumni visited the training centres too. Also, a presentation of the Association's COVID relief work was shared by Mr. Abhishek Thakur, an alumnus of TISS and the BRA. He was assisted by his student and volunteer Ms. Garima.

Livelihood Project Launch

Owing to the pandemic resulting in the melting down of employment opportunities, the Association initiated a new Livelihood Project to motivate, encourage and support self-employment/ small businesses that could be set up in the vocational trainees’ native places.

Under the Project, massage and sewing kits were distributed to 12 vocational trainees at the Graduation Ceremony held on 18 September 2021 in the Gandhi Hall of the Association.

The occasion was graced by Ms. Arpita, Mr. Manikandan and Mr. TekChand from the HSBC, which has been involved in mentoring the vocational trainees, Ms. Rupa Tete and Mr. Alok Shukla from USHA Social Services involved in the sewing training programme, Mr. Dushyant Meher from Yogada Satsang Society of India, Mr. Hari Varma from Youth 4 Jobs Foundation, and Ms Sukhmani Bhandari, one of the volunteers who helped in raising funds for the Project.

Operation Blue

We are so proud of Irfan who is one of the eight team members of Operation Blue Freedom who have set a world record by being the largest number of people with disabilities to scale the world’s highest battlefield - the Siachen Glacier. Irfan Mir from Kashmir is a trainee at the Blind Relief Association pursuing his Diploma in Computer Education (V.I.)

Thanks to IAS Officers Wives Association & PNB

We are very thankful to the IAS Officers Wives Association for presenting a donation cheque of Rs. 1 lakh to the Association. The cheque was received by Mr. K.C. Pande at their Executive Committee Meeting held on 19 August 2021.

We are also grateful to Punjab National Bank for supporting the Blind Relief Association with a grant of Rs. 1 lakh. The grant was received by Mr K. C. Pande Executive Secretary and Mr C. P. Mohanan, Dy. Executive Secretary (Admin) at the PNB CSR Event - Prerna held on 18 September 2021 at the PNB Staff Training College, Civil Lines. The Blind Relief Association was one of the three NGO recipients.

Donation from Mrs. Lekhi

Many thanks to our well-wisher Mrs Meenakshi Lekhi (Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture) for the thoughtful gift of eight smart canes, kits of facemasks, and 50 T-shirts for the students/trainees of the Association given on 17 September 2021 on the happy occasion of the 71st birthday of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sri.Narendra Modi. Since Smt.Lekhi was on an official visit abroad, in her absence the gifted items were handed over by Smt. Smriti Gupta of Swambalan Trust, and Sri.Rajesh Varma and Sri. Manv Brijwasi of Smt.Lekhi's Office.

In Donation from USAID & SRF Limited

On closing down of one of USAID's project offices in Delhi, the Agency donated its office furniture and an office vehicle to the Association. Similarly, SRF Limited also donated office furniture to the Association. Both the sets of furniture will be utilized in the upcoming New Building of the Association. Sincere thanks to USAID and SRF Limited for their generous donation.

Updates

1. The Association resumed its services with 100 % staff on 13 September '21.
2. The JPM School students continue to attend online classes.
3. Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education went on mixed-mode classes from 21 September. The classes are partially online and offline at the moment.
4. The 4-month Basic Computer Training, an online course, started in July 2021.
5. Vocational training programmes in Multi-Skill Training and Relaxation Massage Training resumed offline in June and July 2021

Diwali is here and our Sales are Open Online & Offline.

Counter Sale:
10 am - 7 pm everyday at the Association's campus

Online Sale with home delivery and in-store pickup service

(Link) Online Store

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