New Delhi (NISCORT): A skill training program for the physically challenged was inaugurated at NISCORT on July 1.Twenty-two young women have enrolled for the workshop to hone their skills in photography and videography which is being jointly organized by the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) and the National Institute of Social Communication Research and Training (NISCORT).
The proceedings began with a video show entitled “Meri Aakhen”. The prayer video showed people of different faiths – Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs- worshipping God.
Chief Guest Fr Tomi Thomas, Director General, CHAI along with other eminent invitees Dr K C George, an official in the Women and Child Ministry, Dr Vijayluxmi Bose, a former WHO and UNESCO official, Fr Dominic Emmanuel, spokesperson Delhi Archdiocese and a participant lit the lamp. The guests were then presented bouquets by the participants in a moving gesture. One of them, who cannot walk, crawled to the dias to present a bouquet.
“They need to be empowered to help join the mainstream,” said Fr Tomi, who inaugurated the program. He said “One of the reasons to organize this workshop is to promote gender equality and inclusion of people with disability in the mainstream media. If anyone can advocate for the disabled they are these people themselves. These young girls can in turn empower more of their kind. And we are certain, it will happen.”
Endorsing the view, Fr Dominic said people who are differently-abled or differently challenged have great potential, great strength and power even though they may be different. He said he had seen people without hands write and paint with their mouths. “They come out with such exquisite work that I can never think of achieving.”Fr Dominic presented to the Director, NISCORT copies of a few films on social themes which he has made.
“It’s not the camera or the video but your creative spark that is going to make the programme a success,” Dr Bose told the participants. She said “in these difficult and challenging times, the most powerful message is the one that comes from one woman to another. You think you are disabled but what about the girl who is raped on her way to work and cannot look at society in the eye or the educated women who gets beaten up by her husband. Are they not disabled?” She asked
Dr K C George recalled how the Constitution of India does not consider differently abled people as a separate entity. The Preamble says ‘We the People.’ you don’t belong to a separate category. We are all one”. However, he lamented that many people working for the disabled are not aware of the opportunities available for the differently challenged in different sectors. The ministry has come up with a diploma course in counseling of which many are not aware, he said. Stressing the need for empowerment and advocacy, he said the government had 70 programmes for the centres of physically challenged and there are jobs reservation for people with disability.
Director of NISCORT Fr George who welcomed the participants to the workshop said the program is the result of the collective effort of CHAI and NISCORT to reach out to people with disability and to enhance their capacities and skills.
While most of the participants of the 20-day workshop suffer from locomotor disability, one is hearing impaired. Dhanamma, who has the maximum disability with both lower limbs affected with polio, says “I have come here to receive encouragement to face future challenges.” Though the young woman from Machlipatnam in Andhra Pardesh cannot stand or walk, she says she will learn videography and go on a tricycle and take video shoots of marriages and other functions and make a living that way.
That’s the spirit envisioned by CHAI and Liliane Fonds, Netherlands, the sponsors of the programme - “to enable the differently-abled women to participate as equals in their communities”. Meena Karimi who heads the activity in CHAI has been able to motivate the participants to come to the workshop. The workshop is led by Fr Biju Mandapam SVD of NISCORT, Sr Nisha, a Holy Spirit nun from Indore, and a few other resource persons.