GUWAHATI : In a remarkable initiative of support and care for those who are differently-abled, the ERD Foundation, Guwahati is going to start an Academy called “I Can, I Will”. The Academy will be launched in July this year with the objective to provide training in various fields including sports, to differently abled youths of above 14 years and make them eligible for engagement in the society. This initiative of ERDF today was accompanied by immediate recruitment of six differently abled youths hailing from different parts of Assam at various posts at USTM.
Addressing media persons after an interactive programme with a group of differently abled cricketers organized by ERDF at Bhetapara, Guwahati, the Chairman of ERDF Mahbubul Hoque said, “We have already identified 35 differently abled youths having qualification ranging from HSLC to graduate whom we will provide facilities of sports, counseling, coaching for competitive examinations and skill based training for their career. We will try for the engagement of these enthusiastic youths in different fields at our own institutions. Moreover, we will appeal to other organizations to provide engagement for them according to their ability and comfort.”
“Our goal is to provide higher education and help the underprivileged section of the society. Though initially we are having 14 years and above boys only, we will be taking girls as well in the Academy”, Hoque added. It can be mentioned here that those who have been offered job by ERDF, will avail free food and lodging facility in the USTM campus. The Academy is a part of the social outreach of ERDF and will give emphasis on sports.
Significantly, all the 35 differently abled youth who participated at the interactive programme at ERDF have been playing cricket since the last 7 years and are now part of “Differently Abled Cricket Association of Assam”. Two of them, namely, Kamaleswar Das from Patasarkuchi and Ali Akbar from Bagbar have been selected to play for the India team. Again, the 18 year old and class 12 student Abhishek Gogoi is the India No. 1 cyclist and has world ranking 12 who completed 10 kms in 19 minutes at Special Summer Olympic held in January 2018 at Rattu, Jharkhand. There itself, Abhishek has been selected to participate in International Special Olympic to be held at Abu Dhabi on 19 March 2019.
