Twenty-one-year-old Hanumesh was born blind to a low-income family in Raichur district of Karnataka. His parents were unable to educate the three children with their daily wages. But Hanumesh was lucky to be enrolled in a special school for the blind, for free.
Both his sighted brothers left home, to fend for themselves. Seeing his parents struggle and only his disability pension to offer, Hanumesh yearned for a job to support his family. At school, he learned about Eyeway in a workshop conducted by partner NGO, EnAble India.
He called the Karnataka Helpdesk, curious about job opportunities. Since he had finished Class X, the Eyeway counselor recommended finishing school and then aiming for college education. This would brighten his job prospects and also open up government job options based on different criteria.
Following the counselor’s advice, Hanumesh successfully cleared Class XII and applied for the post of Junior Assistant in the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited. He has been shortlisted and is currently preparing for the written examination.
He has also enrolled in a government college in Raichur to pursue his graduation. He was encouraged by the Eyeway team with the promise of all support in terms of a scribe, accessible study material et cetera.
Loss of sight has not deterred Hanumesh to envision an independent future where he can not just take care of himself but also his family.