For some, satisfaction comes by serving the needy, for some, the happiness and well being of others matters more than their own.

Such is the story of, Rohit Trivedi, an English professor born with an impaired vision, who co-founded an NGO for the blind. “In the beginning, when my parents got to know about my blindness, they were devastated and shattered” says Rohit. In the first few years they ran from pillar to post in a hope to get treatment for his vision but nothing worked out.

Childhood did not come easy for Rohit as his father got transferred in every two years and consequently he had to change his school. There were no writers to volunteer for him during examinations, neither were there any readers to read the texts for him. The non availability of books in Braille script was also a major problem. “My friends and relatives were a big support for me. They gifted me with tape recorders and cassettes. My constant hard work and dedication made me score exceptionally well in board exams in which I was the state topper of economics.” says Rohit cheerfully.

He then became the first visually impaired person to get selected for NTSE scholarship and that’s what marked the Turning Point of his life.Rohit Trivedi always had a fascination for teaching. But on the other hand, he was always posed with questions like how will he take classes, maintain discipline, check notebooks etc. He completed his B.Ed and was selected as a teacher in Sultania Government School while he was pursuing his MA. Despite of the hectic routine, his passion for teaching never led him aback.

Being visually impaired, Rohit experienced a lot of problems himself, but he never lost hope and always tried to curb the sufferings of the specially challenged. It was this passion of Rohit of helping the physically deprived which marked the inception of “ARUSHI”. Rohit along with his group of students and a few other socially inclined people started ARUSHI, an NGO which works for the development and welfare of physically disabled people, especially for the blind. At Arushi, they started with audio recording for blind children so the blind children no longer have to be deprived of basic education. They are also working in various aspects like infrastructural development, building of ramps and railings, providing accessibility to web content and making audio books for visually impaired people. They have also converted several books like “Wings of fire” and many short stories for children into Braille.  “Usually disabled people face attitudinal problems from the society. The society does not believe in our potential. Some people think that our lives are very easy while some pity on our physical condition. Thus, a person with any kind of disability must learn to live with all these problems and should find ways to tackle them bravely”, says Rohit confidently.

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