HIGHLIGHTS OF VOSAP ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT
1. Covid-19 Relief efforts: Volunteers continued to help SAP in remote places of India
2. Launch of Job portal for SAP: Expanding Enablement of SAP by launching the VOSAP job portal
3. Leading ahead in surgical intervention: 495 visually impaired people were enabled
4. VOSAP Ignite: 25 students from the US and Canada, selected to volunteer with VOSAP
5. VOSAP founder spoke in CII summit: Assistive technology for inclusion
6. Launch of first VOSAP club at UC Berkeley: Launch of first VOSAP club, starting of fall semester project @Data Science, disability research
7. MoU with Sarthak: VOSAP signs MoU with Sarthak, leading organization in India, placed 18,000+ SAP with inclusive employers!
Dear Friends,
Happy Navratri!
We are excited to present key updates on social impact by VOSAP in the month of September 2021.
Volunteers continued to help, get creative in driving impact to help SAP. Here are noteworthy examples to share with you.
- On September 11 and 12, VOSAP distributed 350+ ration kits, masks, sanitizer etc. during a drive through vaccination event of around 1,000 SAP at our partner organization Blind People Association in Ahmedabad. This was one of its kind drive-through vaccination camp in India where people arrived at the location in auto, tricycles, their vehicles and the team vaccinated them. We thank volunteers serving for 2 days, taking turns, entertaining beneficiaries etc.
- We acknowledge the selfless service of VOSAPians who dedicated their time and efforts in distributing 100 ration kits in Dahod district by visiting several villages. They selected under-proviledged students with disabilities in these villages of Timba, Dahod District
- Covid19 Relief Efforts in Varanasi were done in two phases. In the first phase, 100 Divyangjan were provided with Ration kits and masks. Again on 17th September, on the occasion of PM Shri Narendra Modi’s 71st birthday, VOSAPian Dr Uttam Oza and team visited People with Leprosy at Sankat Mochan Kusht Ashram and distributed VOSAP ration kit, masks etc. Team also distributed to Divyang Cricketers at Karmdeshwar Mahadev, Varanasi
- VOSAPian Dr Gopal Krishna and team visited many places around Haridwar, Uttarakhand and distributed raiton kit, masks etc. to most needy Specially Abled People
We are very encouraged with such ongoing impact by compassionate volunteers who are going out every week, visiting door to door, and reaching out to help underprivileged Specially Abled People during COVID-19 pandemic..
October is celebrated as National Disability Employment Awareness month. VOSAP has launched a Job Portal (www.voiceofsap.org/jobs) for the employment of PwD as part of its commitment to Empower SAP with employment. PwD will have access to job opportunities available from partner organizations of VOSAP and also get the opportunity to get trained for free for some job openings, soft skills etc. It also helps employers to benefit from this large, untapped resource pool.
VOSAP volunteers and partners like GTT, Sarthak, BPA are finding jobs for Specially Abled People and posting them at the VOSAP Job Portal for SAP/PwD. A huge commitment by leading corporations for Inclusive, diverse hiring practices has created a demand to employ Persons with Disabilities in various sectors.
→ We encourage you to check out the portal so that you can help someone get a job, get economic independence.
- Surgical interventions continue to enable people with the gift of vision.
Voice of SAP has been helping visually impaired to regain their sight through surgical interventions. In the month of September, we have enabled 495 people to regain vision and help them towards a better life. We are very grateful to our partner Blind People’s Association who have state of the art hospital facilities and very committed staff and expert doctors. These under-proviledged people come from around the states, rural areas.
VOSAP Ignite Program for highschoolers was launched to strengthen VOSAP’s mission of helping and promoting the empowerment of Specially Abled People by encouraging students of Grade 9 to 12 to learn about disability, and engaging them in volunteering activities, making them more compassionate and sensitive towards Persons with Disabilities and nurturing the virtue of ‘Individual Social Responsibility’’.
25 high school students from around the US were selected after 2 months of detailed, structured interview process to be part of the VOSAP Ignite 2021 team. This program is expected to go for 9 months, during which students will carry out volunteering tasks with VOSAP.
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is a non-profit, industry-led, and industry-managed organization, that engages people from the private and public sectors in shaping India’s development journey on transforming Indian Industry’s engagement in national development.
CII organized its 2nd edition of Delhi Tech Summit, virtually on Friday, 17th September 2021 on the theme of Scaling Sustainable Growth: Through cutting-edge innovation & smart technologies.
VOSAP Founder Pranav Desai was invited to address the inaugural session on Innovative and Assistive Technology, its need, scope, and how technology-based initiatives can help make the world more inclusive and accessible.
During the meeting, VOSAP Founder spoke about the VOSAP app as assistive technology for accessibility which resonated with Santulan Chaubeyji, Joint Director (IT), and Director of Government of NCT of Delhi, for building accessibility. As the next steps forward, Voice of SAP is requested to help, have a follow-up session with Santulan Ji and his team for making Delhi accessible using the VOSAP app.
VOSAP Collegiate was launched with a mission of advocating inclusivity and accessibility for PWD on college campuses. In 2020, VOSAP started its research internship with the Data Sciences Department of UC Berkeley for Fall and Spring semester.
To strengthen and expand the youth program, the 1st club of Voice of SAP was launched at UC Berkeley. VOSAP Volunteers and students of UC Berkeley started the VOSAP Club with Sophie Manoukian (President, VOSAP CLUB) and the team. If you are a student of UC Berkeley and are passionate about the disability sector and would like to join the club, Fill out our google form
The fall 2021 semester project has started at UC Berkeley with students to research on “Analyzing income and education inequalities in the US with persons with Disability and persons without disability by gender, race, and states”. Team will also analyze trends, create models to predict the gap by 2030.
- MoU with Sarthak
Sarthak Educational Trust, a Non-Government Organization is working towards training and placement of Specially Abled People. It was founded by Dr.Jitender Aggarwal.
Through its dedicated efforts in the areas of Early Intervention, Inclusive Education, Skill Building, and Placement, Advocacy Generation, Abilympics, and India Disability Empowerment Alliance. Sarthak is present in 23 locations and has placed 18,000+ Specially Abled People with private corporations.
Voice of SAP and Sarthak Foundation signed MOU to empower specially abled people with jobs and employment opportunities and help them to have an independent and better life for themselves.
Everyone can do something in creating a better world for Specially Abled People, the process of making the world inclusive for ALL the people. Please join us as a volunteer, donor, supporter, thought leader – in the way you believe you can make your impact with VOSAP as a platform!
Do follow us on Instagram (@vosap.official), Facebook (/voiceofsap), and LinkedIn (/voiceofsap) for regular updates on the ongoing work and progress. Please Download VOSAP mobile app (iOS, Android) and start volunteering today!
Donate generously to VOSAP, change life of SAP!
Please take care, stay safe, and keep embracing the Inclusion of SAP, more so now than ever before!
Upcoming event
On Dec 4th, during the VOSAP Annual Gala event, VOSAP will launch the world’s 1st 3D Virtual Exhibition of Assistive Technology Solutions to bring together all ecosystem partners to accelerate adoption, enablement of hundreds of millions of SAP.
- Learn VOSAP Impact in 2021
- Entertainment by amazing Bollywood singers and Emcee Sparsh Shah
- Expert Speakers on Assistive Technology – enabling Specially Abled People
- Launch of world’s 1st 3D virtual Exhibition on Assistive Devices
Visit our website www.voiceofsap.org for more updates.
