The Bembala Outreach Programme of St. Joseph’s University, Bangalore in collaboration with The Project Vision had organized a Blind Walk on 21st October 2023 observing the World sight day.
Project Vision is an initiative of Hope Society to promote Eye Donation, provide Eye Care, and Empower persons with Disabilities. Project Vision is an initiative under the Hope Anti Addiction Action Group Society, a social initiative of the Claretian Fathers of Bangalore. Starting with working for alcoholics and drug addicts.
The UG Students from School of Natural Sciences and Physical Sciences and all the 1st year PG Students (2023 Batch) from St. Joseph’s University participated in this programme. The main objective of this programme was to motivate people to help the visually challenged. "Feel being blind" is the catchword for Blind Walk. A very unique experience was created, leading to a decision to donate their eyes.
The Programme began at 2:00 PM at St. Joseph’s College of Law where all the students gathered along with the Project Vision team where the director of Project Vision Fr. Dr. George Kannanthanam addressed the students along with the Outreach team about the significance of the blind walk and instructions were given to students for the safety during the rally and everyone where given blindfolds and the rally began where 15 visually impaired persons joined the rally to motivate the students. The rally began from St. Joseph’s College of Law where 700+ participants were involved with few volunteers guiding the students throughout the way with slogans raising awareness to the public, the rally was for a total of 1Km (St. Joseph’s College of Law to St. Joseph’s College of Commerce).
The participants after reaching St. Joseph’s College of Commerce assembled in the quadrangle for the final programme, the programme had an oath taking ceremony where everyone took a pledge to donate eyes and raise awareness to others in the presence of The Project Vision, Bembala Outreach team and Fr. Brian Pereira SJ (Director of Bembala Outreach Programme) and Fr. George Kannanthanam enlightened the students with a speech.
In the end of the Programme the visually impaired persons where given a bag and blind vision glasses as a token of appreciation for taking part in the event actively. The programme turned out to be a huge success and an article on the same was written in Times of India.