CHENNAI: A two-month home management course for visually challenged women, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Association of the Blind (TAB), came to an end on Monday. The valedictory function was held at TABs headquarters in Tondiarpet. The course was conducted every summer over the last five years, in association with Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL). This comes under the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Basic skills like spoken English and Hindi, computer knowledge, needlework, yoga and karate were taught to the trainees. Twenty five students had completed the course this year.Giving feedback on the course, Jenita, one of the trainees, said, “This was the first summer that I learnt to do something different, and useful. We were taught that there is nothing we cannot do just because we cannot see.” She is a first year student of BA Literature. Another student said, “The early morning yoga classes helped us to concentrate and start the day in a pleasant frame of mind. The karate classes have taught us to defend ourselves. Even needlework is not beyond us now; we have even been taught to do cutting of cloth.” She added that each facilitator helped them immensely. Another skill that the women were taught was social and personal adjustment. This exposed them to social situations and practical visits like those to a bank, post office and railway station had been arranged.K Namagiri Rajamani, Director - Customs, presided over the function. She spoke about the need to empower women. “There are plenty of employment opportunities for the visually challenged, but you need to have the proper education for that,” she said.NK Rajamani, GM in CPCL, was the chief guest. He spoke about the company’s involvement in TABs activities. “I am happy to see the women graduating from this course. It is indeed heartening to see their progress,” he said. The trainees conducted a cultural programme, including a dance. An English drama based on the theme “Knowledge is Power” was staged. An extensive karate demonstration was given, where some students broke terracotta tiles using their hand, elbow and by kicking.
Comments
0 comment