THE M.N.BANAJEE INDUSTRIAL HOME FOR THE BLIND

Success Stories :-

Devendra Vhaghade (Self-Employment Scheme)

"Who said that the blind cannot be Edison? Come and experience it yourself. I was born and brought up in the Gondhiya district of Maharashtra and was part of the MNB Vocational Centre.

"While making hangers, I learned about the various cables. After this, the magic started where I could differentiate the male cables from the female ones. Without attending any classes on Physics, I managed to learn the trick of giving supply to electronic products. After a discussion with the project coordinator of the Self Employment Scheme, I came to the conclusion that the sound service business would help me stand on my own feet in my native place that is popularly known as "Naxalite affected area".


MNB provided the assistance I needed, speakers, a tent and different types of lights. Today my business is doing well and I have plans to expand it by purchasing other decorative items that are in demand. This has helped me earn respect in society and my disability is no longer a barrier."

Ramesh Sawant (Self-Employment Scheme)

Ramesh Sawant a resident of Mumbai was partially visually impaired since childhood and then he met with an accident due to which he became totally blind. Ramesh joined MNB as a trainee under the 4 year vocational training course and was trained in many different trades.
Subsequent to his training Ramesh tried his hand at several businesses like making flower garlands, selling coconuts and vegetables to earn a livelihood but the income from these selling were not sufficient to sustain his family.

So eventually he started selling blouse pieces and falls, and it has turned out to be a good venture hence Mr Ramesh Sawant had filed an application with the MNB under the self-employment scheme to secure funds for expanding his business.

MNB Industrial Home provided blouse pieces, petty-coats and falls worth Rs. 30,000/- to Mr Ramesh Sawant. This financial aid brought about a significant difference in the life of Mr Sawant. During the very first season of Diwali he was able to sell material worth Rs. 12000/- on which he earned a profit of Rs. 3500/-. His wife and children had contributed equally in his business, and therefore after a period of 1 year he started two STD coin boxes and thus increased his capital material.

We felt that our scheme could be the catalyst for the success of his entrepreneur activity. Today Mr. Ramesh Sawant is the best example of an entrepreneur to the visually challenged persons who wish to start their own business with the help of the "Self Employment" scheme run by MNB.

Namdeo Jadhav (Ex Trainee)

The light of education removed the darkness of life.

Namdeo Jadhav, successfully completed his SSC from Nasik, despite being visually challenged. Since the economic background of his family was not good enough to support him in his education, he did not join any college and instead took admission for the 4-year training in MNB. During this training Namdeo always showed keenness in learning new things and also took an active part in different activities organized by the Home. It was this active participation that showed him the path to continue his education. Namdeo successfully completed his graduation from the Mumbai University and this was the beginning of his struggle to earn a living.

Namdeo appeared for the Staff Selection Exam and because of his intellect and hard work he was selected as a telephone operator at Khadi and Village Industrial Commission (KVIC).

Today Namdeo is married and has 3 lovely children and this gives him a sense of accomplishment as he is able to fulfill his responsibilities towards his family and work. Thus, Namdeo has proved that the effort put in for his education brought him into the mainstream.

Suvarna Surve ( Computer Centre)

Suvarna despite doing various courses could not find a suitable job due to her visual impairment. However things changed for the better after she took up the MS-CIT course conducted at MNB, as the course helped her gain knowledge and also provided her the much needed confidence to compete in the job market. Suvarna after securing a job with Indian Railways as a computer operator is now married and well settled in life.

Suvarna Gajre ( Computer Centre)

22-year-old enthusiastic but visually challenged Suvarna Gajre joined the MS-CIT course conducted at MNB to fulfil her interest in learning computers while she was pursuing her D.Ed . After successfully completing the D.Ed & MS - CIT courses she is now a teacher in NAB India delivering her computer knowledge to other visually challenged persons, making them computer literate, thereby keeping them abreast with today's times.

Nisha Ramesh Gaikwad ( Computer Centre & ACTC)

Nisha Gaikwad is a diploma holder in Hotel Management working at the ITC Hotel, as a house-keeping attendant. Tragedy struck soon after she got married when she was detected with Retinitis pigmentosa. This not only forced her to quit her job, but also caused problems in her married life.

She is grateful to MNB. "Just when I thought my life was finished, I got to know about the various computer courses being conducted by MNB for the visually challenged. I also successfully completed their MS-CIT Course and the Advanced Computer Training Course (ACTC) run by MNB in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Today thanks to the MNB Computer Centre my computer knowledge has been greatly enhanced and d my outlook to life has become more positive. I feel confident to enter the corporate world and once again stand on my own feet."

Tapasya Suresh Warik (Computer Centre & ACTC)

A baby, born premature and also without sight was put on the ventilator just like any other. She was made to breathe on her own. Understanding the difficulties that would occur in her life and the extra hard work she would need to put in to prove herself, this special child's parents named her Tapasya. Tapasya was brought up in a nuclear family along with her elder sister, Siddhika. Her father has been working at a private bank and her mother is a home maker. Belonging to an educated family, her parents educated both Tapassya and her elder sister equally.

Tapasya after graduation successfully completed her MS-CIT course and the Advanced Computer Training Course conducted by MNB, in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). She later appeared for the IBPS Clerical Exam to venture into the banking sector. In this too, she was successful and secured high marks because of her hard work. She was now faced with the challenge of clearing different bank interviews in order to obtain the appointment letter. During the Dena Bank interview she was asked by the panel about her contribution to the day-to-day banking activities and Tapasya therefore gave them a demonstration in Word and Excel with the help of JAWS. They were very impressed with her performance and selected her for the Clerical post. Tapasya is now working with a Dena Bank branch in Mumbai.

Namrata Sallian ( Computer Centre & ACTC)

Namrata Sallian a M.Com. post graduate with low vision was confused with regards to a career choice as she found it difficult to operate the computer due to her visual impairment. "However after joining MNB Computer Centre, I experienced for the first time how computers can be accessed with the help of a screen reader like JAWS by visually impaired persons." She gained confidence with her knowledge from these rich experiences. She also completed her ACTC (Advanced Computer Training Centre) course conducted by TCS at MNB.

Namrata today acknowledges the vital role of MNB in her career. "I soon found myself at Net System Informatics Pvt. Ltd. (Barrier Break Technologies) as an accessibility tester in 2011. I will always be grateful to MNB for their effective training and for bringing about a fulfilling change in my life."

Pinkesh Tailor (TCS Maitree Course)

Pinkesh Tailor has a Master's in Marketing Management from Mumbai University. He worked as a sales executive for the 14 years. After a while he found it challenging to continue field work. Due to constant exposure and pollution there was always the fear of his partial sight being lost. Worried that he may not be able to see at all, he decided to quit his job and join the Advance Computer Training for the visually impaired being conducted by MNB.

"This course not only gave me advanced knowledge about computers but also gave me confidence to aim higher in life. Armed with the necessary skills and more positive spirit I have managed to secure a job in TCS and life couldn't be better."

Kalimutu (Self-Employment Scheme)

Struggle and hard work lead to success.

Parents and siblings love, teachers guidance and friends support are the essence of any person's success. However, there are some people who, despite not having any of this, are able to achieve great heights because of hard work and struggle. Mr. Kalimutu is one such example who was born as an orphan. However, his perseverance brought him into the mainstream.

Mr. Kalimutu a resident of Chennai enrolled for the 4-year training at M N B Home for the Blind. During the 4-year training he learned caning, weaving and light engineering and this motivated him about his career.

After completion of training he took up a job in a factory for sometime and subsequently switched to hawking business.

However since the hawking business failed to provide sufficient returns to him, he switched over to selling rat poison door-to-door. However, this too didn't satisfy him and he was therefore in the search of an alternative business.

Suddenly he could see light at the end of the tunnel when he heard about the Self Employment Scheme launched by MNB for its ex-trainees. After a consultation with the Project Coordinator, Mr. Kalimutu concluded that the envelope-making business would be the most suitable option for him because these envelopes would also come handy for packaging the rat poison and in May 2009 MNB Home launched this business for him. This was the turning point in his life and his life-style also gradually improved. He started taking orders for big companies as well and MNB also buys these envelopes. These envelopes are also used to package the rat poison. His wife and 2 sons are also involved in the business and this boosted his confidence to such a great extent that he has now started thinking like a true entrepreneur who is always greedy for more success.

This burning desire to achieve more and more drove Mr. Kalimutu to to expand his business. He now makes envelopes of different sizes weight and also prints the name and address of the concerned party. If required, he also makes DTPs along with his sons. Thus, Mr. Kalimutu is a manifestation of those who strive of becoming entrepreneurs, but give up at the first stage itself because of some hurdles.

Vijay Kamble (Current Trainee)

Glaucoma creates barriers but determination breaks them.

I, Vijay Kamble, was born sighted and completed SSC in 2001. After this, I came to Mumbai to make a living for my family and me. Days passed by and soon I was even able to get my younger sister married. However suddenly my whole world came crashing down as I was diagnosed with Glaucoma that led to a total loss of sight. I start believing that this was the end of my life. But I soon got to hear about the vocational training at MNB Home and enrolled for the same. This training gave me a dream of reliving my life to the fullest. Though I was not interested in continuing my education after SSC, MNB enabled me do so and I am now pursuing my HSC at a night college. After completing my HSC, my ambition is to become a physiotherapist and serve society because I feel that it is my responsibility to return what I've got so far.

Ramrao Wadave (Current Trainee)

The loss of sight cannot stop an educational mind.

I Ramrao Wadave thankful to MNB Home for enabling me stand on my feet by providing me a wonderful vocational training. The homely atmosphere here and its caring and affectionate staff made me feel at home. I was born blind and was faced with many difficulties during my childhood, including being abandoned by my father. There was a break in my education after class 2 because of a lack of awareness of writers. I was now just whiling away my time and one day a friend of mine, an ex-trainee of MNB Home, suggested that I too enrol for the vocational training at MNB. Becoming a trainee of MNB Home, I learned various trades that boosted my confidence of being able to do something. Suddenly, there was a light at the end of my dark tunnel and I was able to continue my education. I cleared the entrance exam of class 7 and enrolled for class 8 in Maratha Vidya Mandir Night School. It was the happiest moment of my life when I passed my SSC with a 1st class. My family also felt a great sense of pride. This achievement increased my hunger to further educate myself and because of MNB's undying support, I took admission in a night college. It is my dream to one of the best masseur and be an inspiration to my other fellow visually challenged. Not only do I want to be educated, but also civilized and contribute in the process of nation building.

Achievements in Sports and Games

1. Participated in the Mini Olympic 2011-2012 organised by Lions Club International.

2. Award for Special Effort in March Past during District Inter-School Athlete Meet for Special Children on 3rd December 2011 organised by Goregaon Sports Club on occasion of International Day for the persons with disabilities.

3. Winner of State level Cricket Tournament 2009 organised by Blind Welfare Organisation, Nashik.

4. Winner of State level Cricket Tournament 2010 for the blind sponsored by Shri Prakashji Yalgulwar.