SpOHI 2008
A sustaining project since 1977 by BOMBAY ROUND TABLE 19
There are more than a million ‘Hearing Impaired’ people in India. Of these, more than 30,000 are in the western region. For most, their debility is irreversible. They must confront this mischance of fate for as long as they live, confined to a destiny of neglect because their plight is not exactly front page news. Yet these are the very people who with minimum sustenance can contribute to society quickly and efficiently.
Bombay Round Table 19 (“BRT 19”), in collaboration with other agencies has prompted several initiatives towards our goal and mission for the assimilation of the hearing impaired into the mainstream of our society and empower these special children. The ‘SpOHI’ – sports meet for hearing impaired children conducted annually since the year 1977 has been the most successful and rewarding of our endeavors.
How did SpOHI happen?
The 1st sports meet was organised for the entire handicapped community. It was then that BRT 19 felt that focusing on one particular section of the community would result in more efficient management and would make more of a difference. After exhaustive discussion, studies and debate, BRT 19 concluded that the hearing impaired needed immediate support and awareness.
How have the hearing impaired gained from SpOHI?
SpOHI has provided a platform to prove that what is often perceived as “an impairment” need not come in the way of being contributing and capable citizens, and the fierce determination demanding to be accepted as equals. SpOHI has also given them the opportunity to interact one to one with heads of states, bureaucrats, out-standing personalities within and outside their community. It has enabled them to be heard, loud and clear and to compete and aspire for a more meaningful future.
How has SpOHI influenced Round Tablers?
SpOHI was the gateway to realisation about the hearing impaired debility and the fierce competitiveness and determination with which the so-called impaired want to be, and are forming, an increasingly contributing part and parcel of our community.
How else has this realisation made a difference in the Table’s activities in this regard? Amongst others,
a) BRT 19 has donated a bus to a school for the hearing impaired in Mumbai to enable students to commute to school from distant suburbs of the city.
b) BRT 19, along with Round Table India and Table 19 of Netherlands, has refurbished a school for the hearing impaired in Ulhasnagar (a suburb of Mumbai). This school, from a dilapidated state, was transformed into a state-of-the-art school. Over 90 students have benefited from this project. This project entailed an expenditure of Rs.3.5 lakhs.
c) BRT 19 contributed, organized, set up and inaugurated, on Indian Independence Day (15th August) 2006, a new class-room, equipped with chairs, tables and teaching-aid at the hearing impaired section of LTMG School, Wadala. BRT 19 is now lending support to the students of LTMG School on continuous basis
How has SpOHI grown over the years?
The 1st sports meet had around 150 participants and over the years this event has grown, in size and dimension, manifold.
This February 2008 witnessed an incredible turn-out of over 800 special children and participants from about 40 schools, in addition to the teachers, parents and well-wishers, from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The enthusiasm and competitive spirit on display are a mute testimony to their grit and a fierce determination to be accepted as equals. The outstation participants typically come in early in the morning on the Friday before the actual sports meet on Saturday (this year, about 100 participants came in a day even before that, i.e., on Thursday), and from that time on, they are our joyful responsibility, till they leave – most by the late evening on the Sunday after the sports meet (this year, about 50 stayed on till Tuesday), and during this entire time, they are fully taken care of, including food, stay, entertainment (movies and magic show), a little sight-seeing (time permitting) and of course, the high-light – the sports meet itself on Saturday.
This year’s Chief Guest was Mr. Amole Gupte (who recently did the story, script, screen-play and dialogue and is the creative director of the runaway hit movie – Taare Zameen Par, and has won various accolades, including 2 Screen Awards). The Guest of Honour was Mr. Prahlad Kakkar – the “ad-hatter” - ad-guru, ad-film-maker, restaurateur, scuba diver and well know personality, not least of which is that he is one of the brand ambassadors of Round Table India, who, through his production house, has made the RTI ad-films.
This year, the first of the newspaper reports appeared a week before the event, and since then, numerous billboards/ hoardings started appearing all over the city of Mumbai (including at such prominent places as Churchgate, J.J. Flyover, Mahalaxmi Race Course, Grant-Road Station Road, Chinchpokli Flyover, Dadar Railway Platform and Entrance, Bandra, Juhu and Jogeshwari). Reporters from various media, including Mid-Day, Indian Express, Maharashtra Times and E-TV covered the event, recording interviews and taking photos of the celebrities and the special children. Extensive newspaper articles appeared in the Times of India and the Indian Express.
The add-ons this year were a dedicated doctor and paediatrician throughout the event on site, cash scholarships for participants, individual gifts for accompanying teachers and individual photographs of each school-team, which was framed and handed out same evening at the time of the prize-distribution.
Kudos to the Project Convenor Tr. Rajiv Gaur and his team of BRT 19ers headed by the Chairman Tr. Divya Gulati, and of course to ex-BRT 19ers - the Square Legs and 41ers (Club 48) of BRT 19, without whom this event may well become a dream. The circlers/ wives and twinklers/ children as also friends of BRT 19ers/ ex-19ers pitched in, with even the prospectives of the Table, to make this event the success that it was.
This unique event brought joy and smiles to the faces of those who have the will and courage to be equal!
A sustaining project since 1977 by BOMBAY ROUND TABLE 19
There are more than a million ‘Hearing Impaired’ people in India. Of these, more than 30,000 are in the western region. For most, their debility is irreversible. They must confront this mischance of fate for as long as they live, confined to a destiny of neglect because their plight is not exactly front page news. Yet these are the very people who with minimum sustenance can contribute to society quickly and efficiently.
Bombay Round Table 19 (“BRT 19”), in collaboration with other agencies has prompted several initiatives towards our goal and mission for the assimilation of the hearing impaired into the mainstream of our society and empower these special children. The ‘SpOHI’ – sports meet for hearing impaired children conducted annually since the year 1977 has been the most successful and rewarding of our endeavors.
How did SpOHI happen?
The 1st sports meet was organised for the entire handicapped community. It was then that BRT 19 felt that focusing on one particular section of the community would result in more efficient management and would make more of a difference. After exhaustive discussion, studies and debate, BRT 19 concluded that the hearing impaired needed immediate support and awareness.
How have the hearing impaired gained from SpOHI?
SpOHI has provided a platform to prove that what is often perceived as “an impairment” need not come in the way of being contributing and capable citizens, and the fierce determination demanding to be accepted as equals. SpOHI has also given them the opportunity to interact one to one with heads of states, bureaucrats, out-standing personalities within and outside their community. It has enabled them to be heard, loud and clear and to compete and aspire for a more meaningful future.
How has SpOHI influenced Round Tablers?
SpOHI was the gateway to realisation about the hearing impaired debility and the fierce competitiveness and determination with which the so-called impaired want to be, and are forming, an increasingly contributing part and parcel of our community.
How else has this realisation made a difference in the Table’s activities in this regard? Amongst others,
a) BRT 19 has donated a bus to a school for the hearing impaired in Mumbai to enable students to commute to school from distant suburbs of the city.
b) BRT 19, along with Round Table India and Table 19 of Netherlands, has refurbished a school for the hearing impaired in Ulhasnagar (a suburb of Mumbai). This school, from a dilapidated state, was transformed into a state-of-the-art school. Over 90 students have benefited from this project. This project entailed an expenditure of Rs.3.5 lakhs.
c) BRT 19 contributed, organized, set up and inaugurated, on Indian Independence Day (15th August) 2006, a new class-room, equipped with chairs, tables and teaching-aid at the hearing impaired section of LTMG School, Wadala. BRT 19 is now lending support to the students of LTMG School on continuous basis
How has SpOHI grown over the years?
The 1st sports meet had around 150 participants and over the years this event has grown, in size and dimension, manifold.
This February 2008 witnessed an incredible turn-out of over 800 special children and participants from about 40 schools, in addition to the teachers, parents and well-wishers, from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The enthusiasm and competitive spirit on display are a mute testimony to their grit and a fierce determination to be accepted as equals. The outstation participants typically come in early in the morning on the Friday before the actual sports meet on Saturday (this year, about 100 participants came in a day even before that, i.e., on Thursday), and from that time on, they are our joyful responsibility, till they leave – most by the late evening on the Sunday after the sports meet (this year, about 50 stayed on till Tuesday), and during this entire time, they are fully taken care of, including food, stay, entertainment (movies and magic show), a little sight-seeing (time permitting) and of course, the high-light – the sports meet itself on Saturday.
This year’s Chief Guest was Mr. Amole Gupte (who recently did the story, script, screen-play and dialogue and is the creative director of the runaway hit movie – Taare Zameen Par, and has won various accolades, including 2 Screen Awards). The Guest of Honour was Mr. Prahlad Kakkar – the “ad-hatter” - ad-guru, ad-film-maker, restaurateur, scuba diver and well know personality, not least of which is that he is one of the brand ambassadors of Round Table India, who, through his production house, has made the RTI ad-films.
This year, the first of the newspaper reports appeared a week before the event, and since then, numerous billboards/ hoardings started appearing all over the city of Mumbai (including at such prominent places as Churchgate, J.J. Flyover, Mahalaxmi Race Course, Grant-Road Station Road, Chinchpokli Flyover, Dadar Railway Platform and Entrance, Bandra, Juhu and Jogeshwari). Reporters from various media, including Mid-Day, Indian Express, Maharashtra Times and E-TV covered the event, recording interviews and taking photos of the celebrities and the special children. Extensive newspaper articles appeared in the Times of India and the Indian Express.
The add-ons this year were a dedicated doctor and paediatrician throughout the event on site, cash scholarships for participants, individual gifts for accompanying teachers and individual photographs of each school-team, which was framed and handed out same evening at the time of the prize-distribution.
Kudos to the Project Convenor Tr. Rajiv Gaur and his team of BRT 19ers headed by the Chairman Tr. Divya Gulati, and of course to ex-BRT 19ers - the Square Legs and 41ers (Club 48) of BRT 19, without whom this event may well become a dream. The circlers/ wives and twinklers/ children as also friends of BRT 19ers/ ex-19ers pitched in, with even the prospectives of the Table, to make this event the success that it was.
This unique event brought joy and smiles to the faces of those who have the will and courage to be equal!
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