An attempt at giving wings to divyangs

In order to give a brighter future to divyangs (people who are physically challenged), Growel's 101 mall in Kandivali started a vocational training programme and employment opportunity to persons with speech and hearing impairments in partnership with TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers and Retail Association of India).

A training centre named PANKH was inaugurated inside the mall on January 22. Spanning over 45 days, it will provide full-fledged training on various subjects including the basics of retail, basic English, grooming, team building etc. Twenty students have enrolled for the training so far.

Vikas Shetty, Mall Head, said, "We are glad that we could partner with PANKH to set up this continuous training programme for persons with disabilities within our mall. This is our contribution to bring them into the mainstream because they are very talented and deserve equal training and employment opportunities. We hope to replicate more such programmes."

Ameesha Prabhu, CEO TRRAIN, said, "PANKH has given wings to over 6,500 persons with disabilities (PwD's). Their population in India is more than 26 million, brimming with potential waiting to be tapped. Collaborating with an organisation like Growel's 101 Mall would help us to train more PwDs and offer better career opportunities for them."