Apna Rozgaar : livelihood re-generation for people with disabilities

Our Apna Rozgaar entrepreneurs were operating from pavements, their tricycles, small shops, vending carts and kiosks in commercially active places, all of them faced a huge setback due to the spread of Corona Virus. They had to shut down their only source of income due to lock down.

One lockdown after another led them to use whatever savings they had. They were barely able to survive during this period as they were largely dependent on their daily income. Though FOD firmly believes and follows, "Don't give them fish, teach them fishing." But when the survival itself was at stake, we too had to look at the immediate need and relief and provided ration, medicines, etc.

We could foresee that it would be impossible for them to resume work without reinvesting in their trades. While distributing ration, we came across many people with disabilities who were doing jobs of labourers in various factories. They were not provided with any wages/ salaries during lock down. Since many of the factories and manufacturing units have shut down and people with disabilities would be the last to get jobs, the only viable option for them is to run their

own petty shops.

Under this programme, disabled people who are illiterate, unskilled and poor with no opportunity of getting employed either in private or government sector, are economically rehabilitated. This support is provided to them by helping them initiate/ diversify/ expand a trade of their choice.

Though we began relief work by catering to our own entrepreneurs who were already enrolled in this programme, we came across many more people with disabilities who were caught in very bad circumstances as they were working as labourers in different small factories, which had shut down.

In the current circumstances, FOD is helping those disabled people who were earning a respectable living prior to Covid 19 and Lockdown but faced huge losses in their respective trades- their goods perished or expired, etc in re- establishing their trades.

FOD is also extending its support to those disabled people after due counselling who were earlier working in different manufacturing units but lost their jobs during Lockdown by helping them start their own petty shops.

Since we have more than 20 years of experience and expertise in self-employment of people with disabilities and have been awarded with the coveted Helen Keller Award for the same, FOD is helping people with disabilities in becoming self-reliant and economically independent.

Apna Rozgaar enables people with disabilities to financially support themselves as well as their dependents.

This programme is aimed at alleviating poverty, reducing unemployment and mainstreaming the poorest of the poor among people with disabilities.

This programme prevents the disabled people from falling prey to anti-social elements who exploit their disability to meet their nefarious goals like drug pedalling, etc.

From being a person who is dependent on others, the disabled person becomes the main bread-earner of the family.

He is able to afford better education and medical facilities for himself and his family.