The National Federation of Visually Impaired Persons (NFOVIP) and volunteers from Vangani in Thane organised a special screening of the movie ‘Srikanth’ for visually impaired persons at a multiplex (SM5) in Kalyan on Sunday. ‘Srikanth’ is about a self-motivated blind student who sets out to achieve a near-impossible goal.
The NFOVIP’s Thane branch has over 70 visually impaired and partially sighted men and women and provides a variety of services to assist similarly challenged students in education and all-round development.
While blind students listened to the movie, the partially blind viewed it. For many of them, watching or listening to a movie in the theatre was a first-time experience. Completing the entertainment package were popcorn and cold beverages. Volunteers said the viewers and listeners left motivated, willing to learn new things to achieve their dreams.
NFOVIP was established in 2010 to support visually impaired families in meeting their daily needs and achieving sustainable development. It runs a working hostel for partially/ fully visually impaired persons (VIP), with currently eight residents. There are plans to expand to accommodate over 25 persons. They receive food, accommodation and training in packaging materials, making incense sticks, and cooking.
Several visually impaired families are keen to participate in self-sustainability projects. The organisation aspires to establish new initiatives such as a computer learning centre to enhance employment opportunities for visually challenged in banking and private sectors.
Sambhaji Badar, 47, and his wife Mangla (both visually impaired), and their six-year-old son Yagnesh (a normal-sighted person) live in Vangani. Badar said, “I operate an incense stick business and sell it on trains, while my wife does massage work through home visits. She and I are happy that our son was born normal and is studying in a school in Vangani.”
Babu Aher, 53, visually impaired and unmarried, lives in Vangani in a rented home. He was invited by NFOVIP to watch the movie. He said, “I was very happy to watch a film after 20 years. I belong to Nashik and my parents have passed away. In the village, where my brother and his family live, there is no scope. I moved to Mumbai where there are several opportunities. I sell pens and diaries on trains. Previously, I worked at Birla Ayurveda company where I earned Rs11,000 per month, but lost my job after the pandemic.”
