“It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
The lives of Specially Abled People are full of unique challenges every day. But, many Specially Abled Peoples, with fighting spirit, choose to take the challenges head-on rather than sulking about their limitations. By the way, it is this fighting spirit due to which we choose to refer to them as ‘specially abled’ and not ‘dis-abled’.
Since its inception, VOSAP is working tirelessly to light a candle of hope in the lives of SAP and make them empowered and enabled. One of our such endeavors to make lives better for SAPs is our Enablement Programs with a focus to enable SAPs with education and employment. We have been able to transform the lives of thousands of SAP and directly impact the lives of their family members as well.
Today we are gladly sharing 3 success stories from VOSAP’s Enablement Program for Self- Employment of Specially Abled People held in Belagavi, Karnataka.
Balakrishna J Arundekar
Mr. Balakrishna J Arundekar is a person with mobility impairment. He runs a roadside shoe shop in Belagavi city of Karnataka from which he earns around 300 to 400 rupees per day. Undoubtedly, commuting from his home to the shop and back was a challenging task for him.
We reached out to Mr. Balakrishna through VOSAP’s volunteers and provided him with a tricycle to ease his daily challenges. Now, the commute is easier as well as lesser time- consuming for him. While talking to one of our volunteers, Balakrishna expressed his gratitude towards VOSAP, its members, and the founder as well.
Noor Mallewala
Mr. Noor Mallewala is a typical old man sitting at his temporary-looking stall selling flowers and garlands for pooja. The only thing that makes him different from most such flower vendors is his physical limitations. Mr. Noor has a family to support and he cannot even stand on his legs. The tricycle that he received through VOSAP’s enablement program held at Belagavi has transformed many things for him. He uses the tricycle to commute from his home to the place where he can sit and sell his flowers. A very thankful Noor Mallewala told us that he is now earning 150 to 200 rupees per day.
Rakesh Govind Nandgadkar
The next story we bring to you is of a specially-abled fighter named Rakesh Govind Nandgadkar. Talking about his profession, he is a roadside soda seller. Like the two above-mentioned people, Mr. Rakesh too is a beneficiary of the tricycle provided by VOSAP’s self-employment enablement program held at Belagavi. He uses the tricycle to commute from his home to the spot where he can sell his soda well. The little support from VOSAP has enabled him to commute easily and earn 300 to 400 per day.
We are glad to be an important part of thousands of such inspiring stories of Specially Abled People. We have come a long way since we started and see there’s a much more long distance to cover. We will require your genuine support in the form of donations and volunteer help to cover a such long distance. We are and will always be thankful for each and every support we get.
