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The Blind Lead Trust along with the Nala Rympei Choir ,Seng Samla Shnong Umran Dairy, MLA of Umsning Constituency Shri. Jason Sawkmie Mawlong , MDC Smti. Macdalyne Sawkmie Mawlong, HANM(Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement), Village Organization of Umran Dairy(V.O) and Shri.Sunshine Makri by joining hands together has been able  to inaugurate the house of Mr. Vijay Singh and his three orphanage children were two of them are mental retarded. His two mentally retarded  children  has been taken care  to special units for children with special needs child Care institute, Mawkasiang, Shillong. The house was inaugurated by Shri.Jason Sawkmie Mawlong and Smti. Macdalyne Sawkmie Mawlong with the present of the other members who contributed for the construction of the house. Now, the family has a better shelter to live in, to cover them from the heat and storms. With these kinds of social services done it will have a great impact on the society as a whole.  The steps taken by these three organizations are a perfect example to the public to help the people in need such as families coming from poor backgrounds who cannot provide for themselves.  

    It is actually the best moment to be cherished for a lifetime to be able to help the poor who are in need of help and assistance, especially helping the poor  family whose children are differently abled.    

Here is the update about the orphanage differently abled  children in the village of Umran Dairy Ri Bhoi District: The youth group of this village got to start this house at this time, actually they should start it from two months ago, but due to unavoidable circumstances like there are lots of storms, they couldn’t proceed and besides that the road was damaged. The Blind Lead Trust had donated to the orphanage disability house RS 15100 with joining hands together with other groups, we have joined hands with three groups Blind Lead, Seng Samla Shnong Umran Dairy and with one other group of choir (NRC) in order to build the house for those disabled orphanage. Since then, they have lost their mother and they live in a small house along with their father which is not safe if the storm blows. We as a small organization are trying so hard on how we can solve the problems of our disable orphanage friends’, but actually we do focus on the visually impaired. We also thanked other groups who had helped and joined us like Village Organization and others. We really request to other organizations, companies and individual to donate to our organization so that we can support to all other blind people who are really in needs, there are so many visually impaired who is double struggling everyday in their life like some of them are harassment, abusing and torture especially in the villages the people are not understanding about disabilities. But there are some villages who are really helpful for the persons with disability, like Umran Dairy and others. There are so many blind people who don’t get the opportunity and lose their hope for their lives, but when the blind lead the blinds so that they can choose their own paths. This is very important to each and everyone of visual impairment.

On 19 March 2022 the Blind Lead Trust reached out to the family of Vijay Singh at Umran Dairy, Ri Bhoi District Meghalaya, India by donating them some needs like mattresses, Mobile phone and vegetables. This two children were mentally retarded and the other two were normal, this family had faced lots of difficulties since the mother of the four children had passed away six years ago, Vijay Singh in order to support the family to earn their living he had to go for work and also to take care of his children. The four children of Vijay Singh had lost their education and couldn’t make an effort to go to school. The father of these children has not only faced difficulties to fulfill the needs of the family but also had a great issue where he had to come and feed his children half day during his work. So, We request you to kindly support this family who are really in need.

   The Blind Lead Trust organized the World White Cane Safety Day on 15th Oct 2022, at West Jaintia Hills Districts as an awareness program to make people aware about the importance of white cane and its benefits , assistance to those people who are visually impaired .                                         

  The visually impaired people face challenges and difficulties due to the unawareness of the people about the white cane.  The chairman Mr. Rimiki Pajuh empathized and pitted at the conditions of the people with visual impairment and he hosted the programme to give honor and respect to the visually impaired and use the white cane for their safety. The motorist ,driver and even the traffic police are not aware of the white cane which is the identity of the visually impiared.

    The white cane is the first thing to help the visually impaired and it is the sign or symbol that identifies them in society . The white cane is a friend who never betrays them at any point of life which was highlighted by Mr. Raju Maring who specially wrote the poetry about the white cane at the same time he himself  faces the difficulties while reading the poetry.  

     The people who are blind and visually impaired have  lost their rights in society. since the government cannot provide their needs . Example , the street roads cannot be accessible .

 And even the government offices are not accessible for those who are differently able.

Most of the time even the people do not feel sympathy to help  the visually impaired people , this is because of the society for which they are having a lack of awareness but it’s not we . These words were spoken by the visually impaired person Mr.Rimaki Pajuh.

      Mr.Jitendra Dkhar Director and cofounder of the Blind Lead Trust Organization  narrated that as per the census of the year 2011 the number of the visually impaired people is  2374 in the state  .He said that in some situations the people took advantage of visually impaired by snatching their mobiles phones while walking on the road or market area.  That’s why he said there should be rules and regulations set for the blind people who use white cane  and he even said that sometimes the drivers and the rider do not bother even though they could see people holding the white cane in the road. 

    Miss Ribanlin Lyngdoh who studies MSW at St Edmund’s college shillong who suffers from low vision she told about the history of the white cane and that they celebrate every year on the 15th october all over the world and Smti. Belbora Wankhar who is the secretary of Parent of children with disability was the guest of honor .She said that the government must take responsibilities to meet the needs of the differently abled people,she even adds that the government should have bring policies in the Assembly to look for the people who are differently able especially the people with visual impairment . She said that there is much support for the differently abled people.

    Shri Dr H.H. Mohrmen was the special guest on the program, he said that the previous  Government and the present Government does not take into consideration when it comes to the people with disability. He also added that the Government does not include several schemes that help the public. He also gives examples of the scheme FOCUS or skill development of the Government that does not have reservation for the disabled people. He express that on behalf of the SURE, it has offer to start a training at Moosakhia where Kelvin Suting being a master craftsman (handicraft) he himself being a blind person will teach the other visually impaired,but now the government has not approved the offer.He added that he want to see the visually impaired to be independent and not to  lean on others just like in the other countries.

    Smti. D.T.Syngai(Additional Deputy Commissioner of  West Jaintia Hills District) speaking as a special guest has also said that on behalf of the government, the government has brought many activities that will ease the person with disability,however there are still activities that need to be improved. Through the SSA it has brought up many assistance for the people with disabilities. This coming election will ease the people with disabilities.Smti. Syngai also expressed that it is grateful to hear that the band of the visually impaired under the leadership of Mr.Micky Pajuh namely “Life After Dark” has been selected by the Election Commission to represent from the state to Delhi.

On this day, a speech was given by Wommpherheimonki Lamare (Acting secretary) of Blind Lead Trust. Other members who spoke on this day were Bandwina Khymdeit and Kajetan Lipon who were the members of the organization. On this day there is also entertainment that was given by the visually impaired.  

Before starting the program to be held in Indoor Stadium Ladthalaboh, members of the visually impaired and the volunteers organized the rally starting from  stand war, Mynthong to Ladthalaboh. On this day helping assistance was rendered by the students of Kiang Nangbah College and NCC from Thomas Jones College.                                                                                                                                    

The Blind Lead Trust (BLT), had organized a Programmed for the distribution of the android phone to the 12 visually impaired beneficiaries on the 17th September 2022, at Indoor stadium at Nongthymmai Jingkieng. On this day the 12 beneficiaries along with their parents came to receive the devices which had been sponsored by the Vision Aid and which had been distributed by the Blind Lead Trust (BLT). In this Programme the chief guest was the headman (shri. S.B. Kharshandi) of the Nongthymai Lawjynriew. The speech was given by both of them Managing Director and Cofounder of Blind Lead Trust Non Profit Organization (NGO) in Shillong Shri. Jitendra Dkhar and the Chief Guest for the purpose of this a short program to distribute the Smartphones to the beneficiaries on this day. The main objective of this Programmed is to help the underprivileged visually impaired students who cannot afford to buy the devices. Therefore the Blind Lead Trust had taken the responsibility to find out the ways and means to get the Android phone to them so that it could help them in their studies. Beside the delivery of the devices, the Blind Lead Trust (BLT) in collaboration with Vision Aid has the second objective to provide a training course to the beneficiaries on how to make use of the devices in a proper way in relation to various existing technology in an accessible way. And this training course will be held soon. We hope through these programmed and training courses will bring great blessing and impact for the beneficiaries and Blind Lead Trust organization will strive to work hard for the betterment and development of all the visually impaired community.