Community services are the need for the hour, with numerous instances happening across countries for the improvisation of integrity and goodwill. In this reference, Rotary International has become an integral part.
The Rotary E-Club of Metro Dynamix has announced the launch of the pilot project, “Project Ability”, in Coimbatore that aims to turn learning disability into ability. It is a first-of-its-kind project in Coimbatore.
The club comprising 41 young and vibrant members spread across countries, joins hands to carry out service projects, specifically in Coimbatore and includes other parts of India.
While speaking to the Covai Mail, Rtn. Vidya Thathamangalam, Commercial Manager, SNC Lavalin Nuclear, Toronto, Canada, is also a member of the Rotary E-Club of Metro Dynamix, District 3201, provided insights on the project initiation, launch, outcome and much more.
She reports that in the last couple of years, she along with the fellow Rotarians of the e-club have led & carried out about ten service projects based in Coimbatore and India. In addition to this, she is constantly involved in rendering service projects in support of the local rotary clubs and the local community in Toronto.
Referring to the last two years, they have touched about 25,000 beneficiaries, with the main focus on young children and senior people. The service portfolio covers education, health care and environmental projects.
This project emerged as a result of their research work to carry out education-related services. In this regard, they recently contributed a Smart Interactive Board to a Panchayat school aiming to enforce & enhance digital learning capabilities and to provide equal opportunity to all children.
Observations of research on the other untouched areas of academic opportunities in society revealed that learning disabilities ranging from dyslexia and ADHD to partial blindness affect about 25% of the young population around the globe.
Though there is no cure for learning disability, the two most common treatments available are Remediation and Accommodation. The lack of awareness among people regarding the availability of tools for accommodation or remediation causes an imbalanced circumstance.
This inadequacy and the need for awareness brought together the hands of the rotary club and the Magizhvi Foundation. Providing little insights into the Magizhvi Foundation, she informed us that it is a Coimbatore-based NGO working with the motto of ‘inclusive development’ towards sustainable development, disability being the core area of work. Being proceeded with former corporate employees, they provide skill training, education and vocational training for the welfare of people with disabilities, including employment orientation and tutoring to become self-sufficient.
About 3000 students have benefitted from this contemporary NGO. “Supporting an upcoming NGO is a need to improve and encourage more people to indulge in such social welfare activities and services,” she said.
Earlier this week, a collaborative pilot project, ‘C-Pen Distribution’ under Project Ability, was initiated. Rtn. Vidya with her team members Rtn. Reshma Ramesh and Rtn Ishita Bhansali and other club members have contributed a C-Pen device worth Rs. 40,000.
This C-Pen is an assistive reading tool commonly used in America and the United Kingdom, readily available for students with reading and writing disabilities. It enables the students to work independently without much external assistance.
This scanner pen scans the textbook to convert it into audio. The files for the same are made accessible to the user.
As of today, the Rotary e-club members have contributed one C-Pen device to Magizhvi Foundation. Taking this further, the team aims to increase the numbers by four and many more in the future.
The NGO’s MoU with the Coimbatore Corporation and the Central Library enables them to implement this project at the reading camps conducted at the Panchayat union schools in Coimbatore and the Central Library. Each reading camp includes about 20 to 40 students assisted by volunteers who will administer device usage among the students and monitor their improvement.
This device will cover wider beneficiaries ranging from school students, graduates, postgraduates, scholars and all those who strive to succeed independently.
The Project Ability in Coimbatore will launch on the 19th of November, 2022, with Rtn Swarnalatha, Founder of Swarga Foundation, consenting to be the chief guest. Rtn Ayush Agarwala, President, Rtn Vidya Natarajan, Project Chair, Rtn Nishit Shah, Community Service Chair and Rtn Ishita Bhansali, Secretary, will be heading the launch at the Central Library.
She added, “Educational representatives are embracing digital learning and are open to improving the quality of life and education for people with disabilities. Thanks to the pandemic fostering students in digital usage, which in turn makes this device much more manageable to adapt among the students.”
Reported by Anushka Juliet
