GILGIT: A dedicated educational and vocational training centre for blind and differently-abled people of Gilgit-Baltistan was now functional in Skardu, the office of the regional chief secretary said.
Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, a career civil servant who was sent to the region in April and has since strived to achieve his goal to rehabilitate the disabled into society, said his administration signed Saturday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a non-government organisation (NGO) for running costs.
Under the agreement, the organisation will perform a number of functions, including the provision of Braille equipment to teach 10 students at a time.
It will also provide 10 computers that will teach Microsoft Office, marketing skills and, at a later stage, programming to disadvantageous students. The agreement also includes the provision of 10 sewing machines to teach tailoring which in turn would help them to generate money.
The centre, Wani said, will run on solar panels, and also feature a special kitchen where the students would be taught cheffing.
The floor plan will also offer wheelchair ramps and accessible flooring and entrances for the physically disabled.
The centre will also serve as a space to counsel the disadvantageous and blind, and to enable them to live and thrive in society.
Wani credited his team and a number of donors for the establishment of the first-of-its-kind training and learning centre in the picturesque mountainous region.
