Nellore: The motivation of a visually challenged person has helped several others with similar challenges, some of whom has bagged jobs and are independent. Nellore-based Bachhala Sivakumar, visually challenged since birth, completed his PG in English at the then Centre for Indian and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad, with the help of his friends. He secured a job as a probationary officer with the State Bank of India.
Now an assistant manager cadre at SBI Nandaluru in Kadapa distr-ict, Mr Sivakumar spends 90 per cent of his salary to run the home-cum-institute that he established nine years back at Balajinagar, Nellore, in association with his elder brother Narayana Reddy to offer education, food and shelter free to visually challenged persons. His aged mother Ms Sudarshanamma and sister-in-law Leela work round-the-clock to address the needs of 12 girls and 16 boys studying from Class VI to PG in the institute-home known as Anjana Rural Voluntary Organisation. Ms Sudarshanamma and Mr Narayana Reddy believe that the visually challenged can excel if they are given support as Mr Sivakumar has shown.
The commitment of this family is such that nine students bagged bank and government jobs during the last few years. Those who secured the jobs were almost illiterate before they joined the home. Mr Narayana Reddy said they also provide seats to persons without any disability from poor families to guide the less fortunate. Mr Sivakumar said physically challenged were facing discrimination and the benefit of Right to Education had not reached them. He said inclusive education was the key to motivate and educate the visually challenged and the inclusion of others helped each to understand the mindset of each other.
