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Utkarsh Job Development Center: Crafting futures for visually impaired women

To label it just a job centre would amount to undermining the effort that has gone into making it a second home to thousands of visually impaired women across the Mumbai. There is something about Utkarsh, which is more human than commercial. And that is the spirit of the visually impaired women who are living proof of the age-old adage: Where there's a will there is a way.

The National Association for the Blind (NAB) is a pioneering blind welfare institution, which not only rehabilitates the blind but also provides employment and placement services. In the course of the work, the organizers observed that blind women including those who had undergone training at special institutions, were finding it difficult to obtain and retain work.

The need was felt to start a job development centre, which would train and give employment to blind women and in1988 the Utkarsh Job Development Centre was formed. For the 110 blind women who are a part of this centre it has not only given them an opportunity to learn different skills and be self-reliant, but also given them respect in the eyes of the world.

The skills that are taught at the Centre are simple sorting, packing, making decorative items like torans, candles, candle stands, rakhis etc. Mayuri Patel, resident of Parel has been working at Utkarsh since the past two years. She says, "in spite of having passed my B.A. in History and Marathi with good marks, I found it difficult to get a job since most people were prejudiced because of my handicap. But since I have started work at Utkarsh, I am both financially and socially secure."

To supplement the income of the blind women, and raise funds for their welfare, the Committee undertakes special projects at festival times like Raksha Bandhan, Diwali and Christmas.

Chhaya Desai, Assistant Director of Utkarsh says, "We take up a lot of Projects during festivals, like the Air India had sponsored a unique project called Rashtriya Bandhan from 1999-2004 where the women made rakhis and sent letters to jawans in the border areas. This project continued for five years. This year our main sponsor is Jindal Steel and Power Limited.

She also says that the ultimate motto of Utkarsh is to develop these blind women into successful business entrepreneurs. For this purpose, they have started a unique training course whereby any blind women between the ages of 18-40 years can obtain training at Utkarsh and then continue with apprenticeship for one year.

During the fourth year they are assisted in starting their own Self Help Group (SHG). The center helps them by procuring orders for them. "At present we have two SHGs Swayam Sidha and Yashashwini working with us. We are also teaching them the management part of the business like sourcing raw materials, transport, etc".

Naseem Shaikh, one of the 11 members of SHG Yashashwini, says, "Utkarsh has given a new direction to my life since 13 years now. In two years, since Yahsashwini has been formed I have moved from being a home worker to a businesswoman. During the festive season this year I earned Rupees 24,000 in 3 months as Utkarsh gave us a project to make 11 lakh rakhis".

Finally, Utkarsh is not just about earning money, but also about the mastery of women over the art of living. It tells us how opportunities are born from the womb of adversity.

Source: Vision to empower the blind, the Utkarsh way! The Free Press Journal, Mumbai, 6 August 2006.