Jeevan Tarang – Zinc ke Sang – to enhance education and skill opportunities of more than 500 children with disabilities…
There are few children that god has made with lots of love, affection & care and this is the reason, these children are known as ‘special children of God’. These children make you smile instantly and also brings tears in our eyes. As these are special children, they do require and need a lot of care and attention.
Many organizations are working consciously and tirelessly to ensure these children get their due attention. “Jeevan Tarang” is a unique initiative launched by Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company with an objective of enhancing education and skill opportunities for the disabled, and mainstreaming them into the society. Under the program, around 500 beneficiaries have been identified from Hindustan Zinc’s operational areas by working with schools for deaf-mute, visually impaired and for children with brain damages in Ajmer, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and Udaipur.
“Jeevan Tarang – Zinc Ke Sang” was formally launched on Foundation Day of Hindustan Zinc, i.e., on 10th January, 2017.
On 30th August, 2017, on Zinc Day, Children of Jeevan Tarang from Shri Sanwaliya Bahuuddeshay Viklang Seva Sansthan (SSBVSS), Chittorgarh, Baadhit Baal Vikas Samiti, Ajmer, Viklang Kalyan Samiti, Udaipur and Badhir Baal Vikas Kalyan Samiti, Bhilwara performed during the cultural evening and enthralled the audience with their beautiful heart touching performances.
During the program, Hindustan Zinc also partnered with Noida Deaf Society(NDS) to develop a long-term vision and roadmap for the institutes of Deaf-Mute children. NDS has set up four permanent separate trainers (Deaf Mute themselves) who will teach Indian Sign Language(ISL) to students. Jeevan Tarang also focuses on capacity building of teachers by teaching them ISL, who then will be equipped to teach the courses in ISL. Through this partnership, the aim is to enable 400 children learn sign language so to empower the children by imparting education and vocational training for rehabilitation of hearing and speaking impaired children, instilling self-confidence and skills & qualitatively improve both their professional and personal potential to be an active contributor to society.
During the program, Mr. Sunil Duggal – CEO, HZL said “The need is to up-bring these children with all love and care. After all they are special children of god and through Jeevan Tarang we strive to provide them with better opportunities to grow and learn.”
The fact says that there are over 70 million disabled people in India out of which over 12 million are hearing impaired with hardly 500 govt aided Deaf schools providing formal education to deaf children. Even the teachers working in these schools are not equipped or trained to teach the hearing impaired students as Sign Language is still not accepted as a medium of teaching and communication. More than 90 % of students with deafness do not have access to and are out of the formal education system. Lack of access to language has also kept the deaf away from development of social and cognitive skills.
Mr. Pavan Kaushik – Head, Corporate Communication said “Jeevan Tarang is an initiative to work towards a more inclusive society, where every single ability & disability gets the same opportunities and recognition. Hindustan Zinc has partnered with experts to build capacities of these institutions and also engaging industry representatives to ensure good job opportunities for them.”
Also present were Mr. Ashwin Bajaj – Director, Investor Relations, Vedanta Group, Mr. Amitabh Gupta – CFO, HZL, Mr. Naveen Singhal – Head Projects, HZL, Mr. L.S. Shekawat – COO, Mines, Mr. Pankaj Kumar – COO, Smelters, Mr. Ramakrishnan Kasinath – Chief Commercial Officer, HZL, Mrs. Sonal Shrivastava – Dy. CFO, Mrs. Neelima Khetan – Head CSR, HZL, Mr. V. Jayaraman – Head EOHS, Ms. Ruma Roka – Founder of NDS and other HZL representatives during the program.