NAB India :: what we do :: active projects

NAB Sabita and Saradindu Basu Centre for Blind Women (CBW),

New Delhi

Genesis

In October 2002, NAB, India established this one of a kind Centre for visually impaired women, on the property donated by late Mr. Saradindu Basu. Aimed at their empowerment and rehabilitation the Centre provides unconventional type of training to both educated and uneducated visualIy impaired women so that they gain professional skills and get absorbed into the workforce or take up higher education by joining premier Universities or resume career after a huge gap triggered by their disability. We are proud to say many of our trainees have topped the Universities and have been selected for higher studies in courses like MSW, MBA etc. Each year approximately 150 benefit through our services.

Picture taken during a career guidance workshop conducted by the NAB CBW

Career Guidance Workshop at NAB CBW.

	Facilities offered by CBW Microsoft Cyber Café for the Blind - provides access to computer training, internet browsing and scanning, printing and CD writing services. Handicraft Unit – aimed at making VI women self-reliant this Unit trains uneducated visually impaired women in a variety of craft. NAB Manthan Media Art Research Wing - offers training in theatre, radio broadcasting and researches in the field of disability. NAB Adosh Memorial Library for the Blind - provides books from different libraries in e-text, Braille and audio formats, offers reading facilities on the computer and other magnification devices, cassettes and CD recorders. Scholarships are given to needy blind students for higher education. Hostel accommodates to 25 blind women. The user-friendly kitchen of the Hostel is managed by blind women with ease. NAB – Devi - a Working Women's Hostel is an interim lodging arrangement for employed blind girls. NAB Consortium - a guest house providing accommodation to touring executives of NAB (India).
Annual outing.

Home-Management Training.

Holistic strategy for Mainstreaming

We offer various types of training courses to help our visualIy impaired women cope with the challenges they face when they enter larger institutions or for that matter are exposed to our multicultural society.

Life Skills Training

Orientation & Mobility Training: We teach indoor and outdoor mobility techniques, using the white cane. We also teach them safe and independent travel, making use of public transport. Some self-defense techniques are also imparted.
Braille Literacy: Covers Braille reading and writing.
Home Economics: Topics include training in culinary skills, good house-keeping, shopping, etc

Personality Development Program.

Hobby Courses

Engaging them in activities like Music and Theatre gives them great opportunity for self-expression besides recreation. Yoga and Meditation have soothing effect on the mind and body. All this helps in relaxing, release pent-up frustration and stress, builds inner strength and improves self-esteem.

Vocational Training

Vocational Training Computer Courses: Affiliated to NIIT and DOEACC these courses not only provide them extensive support during their higher education but also greatly improve their employment prospects.
Handicrafts Training: Less educated visually impaired women are taught stitching, making paper bags, designer diyas, candles and many other decorative articles, to help them earn a living through self-employment or acquire a job in export houses.
Training in Transcription: There being excellent scope for transcriptionists these days - especially in the field of market research and medical transcription - we recently started a course to train the visually impaired to transcribe audio recordings in text from using the computer. This work requiring great deal of accuracy happens under supervision of experts.

Employability Skills

Through on-job training we prepare visually impaired girls in occupations such as Front Office Reception, Data Entry Operators, Office Administrators and Coordinators, Supervisors, Teaching Assistants, etc. They are also helped in finding a job.

Picture of trainee learning to handle Reception

Training in Handling Reception.

Training in Handling Reception has enabled a number of women to find jobs in corporate offices and in the voluntary sector. ITC Maurya Sheraton Hotel, Delhi helped us design the syllabus of this course. The training involves:

experience in real work situations
making telephone calls to clients, inter-department call transfer, etc.
maintaining database of contact details and messages of clients on a talking computer

Training in Office Administration & Management

Hands on training in the Admin Department of CBW
Training in coordinating with volunteers, vendors, follow-ups
Official correspondence, using e-mail facility, editing, taking prints, handling courier, etc.

Counseling: This service is greatly advantageous to those who have lost their sight later in life. We help them overcome their depression and inferiority complex. In several cases our counseling has been effective in reviving their education/career

How you can help

Volunteer to read to the blind, record or scan books or offer any other help to blind students.
You may like to:

Sponsor
Food and Stay for 1 student	Rs.800 per month
Milk Subsidy for 1 student	Rs.250 per month
A Meal for all the students	Rs.600/800
A week's supply of Fruits for all the students	Rs.700

Computer Training for 1 student	Rs.700 per month
Audio Cassettes for 1 student	Rs.200 per month
Higher Education of 1 student	Rs.15,000 per annum
Grooming of 20 students	Rs.2,000 per month
Fitness Training for 20 students	Rs.2,000 per month

Donate in Kind
Toiletries
Food Items (We do not accept cooked food)	Oil/Grocery/Fruits/Vegetables
Educational Aids	Braille slates, Braille papers, tape recorders, blank cassettes/CDs, etc.
Personal Aids	White Canes
Furniture/Bed Linen
Medicines/Dietary supplements
Antiseptics/Bandages/Sanitary Napkins
*Donations in Cash and through Cheques are 100% exempt from payment of Tax u/s 35 AC of the IT Act 1961*

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