TN company Loyal Textiles partners with NGOs to provide jobs for disabled people

Some good news coming from Chennai where a prominent company Loyal textiles Limited has tied up with NGOs Inclusion Beyond Abilities Trust, Bengaluru, and the Tamil Nadu Differently Abled Federation Charitable Trust, Chennai to provide jobs for people with disabilities.

From disabled teachers in Delhi forced to sell pakodas to the Mumbai municipality withholding salaries for employees with disabilities, the coronavirus lockdown has hit the disabled community hard. Many have been forced into extreme poverty.

So, it’s promising news that the pandemic is helping create job opportunities for disabled people in Tamil Nadu. This is thanks to a partnership between Loyal Textiles Limited and Inclusion Beyond Abilities Trust (iBAT) Bengaluru, and the Tamil Nadu Differently Abled Federation Charitable Trust(TNDFCT).

Under this project, currently launched in Chennai on a pilot basis, disabled people will receive help from Loyal textiles Limited to sell face masks, face shields and other products that will help the public stay safe from Covid-19.

Pandemic helps create jobs

So far, 23 people with physical disabilities, men and women, are a part of this. They all have three wheelers previously allotted under a state government scheme.

The project came together entirely as a matter of chance, says Lakshmi Ravishankar, iBAT. “I happened to see a Facebook post by a Loyal textile executive saying that the company was looking for distributors for their products. I thought this could be a great opportunity for disabled people”.

Using the coronavirus pandemic to help generate employment opportunities for the disabled community is a novel initiative. The vehicles of these employees have been fitted with umbrellas, and they have been given boxes to store the products so they can move around the city and sell them. – Lakshmi Ravishanker, Founder-Managing Trustee, Inclusion Beyond Abilities Trust

The launch saw the presence of T K Raju, Minister for Information and Publicity, Government of Tamil Nadu. Impressed with the idea, Mr Raju has promised to approach the Chief Minister to expand it across the state. “The minister has assured us of full support and we are hopeful that we can take this across all districts of Tamil Nadu”, adds Lakshmi.

Project to be launched in more states

There are plans to launch this in Maharashtra and Karnataka in the coming months.Five thousand people with disabilities in these two states have registered already.

Swapna, in her late 20s, is excited and happy to be a part of the project. Her three-wheeler was a part of the formal launch. “I plan to set up my vehicle outside the local railway stations as there will be a steady stream of people here through the day”.

Ensuring a source of steady income for people with disabilities during these trying times is not easy and by expanding this to other states, these NGOs will help light up the lives of many families.

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