40 differently abled candidates participate in Airtel Delhi Half Marathon; create awareness about ‘Skill India Mission’
New Delhi: To generate awareness about skill trainings in the disability sector and to remove barriers of social inclusion, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) partnered with Sarthak Educational Trust and enabled the participation of 40 people with disability (PwD) in Airtel Delhi Half Marathon today. The participants were accompanied by 30 buddies and took part under the category ‘Champions with Disabilities’. The disabilities included low vision, hearing impairment and orthopedic handicaps.
At NSDC, huge impetus is given to the vocational training and employment for people with disability (PwD) which is essential for improving the quality of their life. With this commitment, the organization has partnered with Sarthak Educational Trust, a civil society organization working towards the empowerment of PWD. In accordance with its name, Sarthak is continuously engaged in introducing positive changes and adding value to its beneficiaries across various age groups and communities.
Kirti is an orthopedically handicapped 25 years old girl who suffers from a speech problem as well and belongs to a family of eight members. However, as her parents passed away a few years ago, her family could not support her well. She was at a crossroads of her life, when she got to know about Sarthak through one of the trainers. The trainer convinced Kirti’s family to allow her to pursue her education and ever since her life has transformed for good. She left no stone unturned in making the best of the opportunity that she got at the organization. She is bright, exuberant and determined to achieve her dreams with the right support and guidance from Sarthak.
Honorable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has declared that the disabled should be called as ‘Divyang’ instead of ‘Viklang’. Hence, the center has renamed the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and incorporated the word ‘Divyang’. The main objective of participating in the marathon was to provide an inclusive platform to Divyangs and to sensitize the prime stakeholders of disability sector through a street play designed by Sarthak trainees.
Dr. Manish Kumar, MD and CEO, National Skill Development Corporation said, “We believe, all individuals must be given equal rights to live with dignity and be given equal opportunities. Our collaboration with Sarthak Educational Trust is an endeavor to provide PWDs respectful livelihood and to eliminate the environment of social exclusion. I thank all our partners and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) for bringing the focus on Divyangjans and helping in meeting their vocational training needs.”
Dr. Jitendra Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Sarthak Educational Trust, expressed his views on the initiative and stated, “We feel a sense of gratification looking at the response from the participants. We are ardent believers of inclusive society and actively engage in creating a positive attitude towards PwD. We thank our trainers for showing complete grit and dedication in supporting the 40 candidates and building their morale. We hope with such initiatives, we can carve equal stature for persons with disability by providing them a platform to access equal opportunities and resources. I thank NSDC and MSDE for their complete support and for believing in us.”