Founders
Balukaka, 87 [As on end 2012] is an retired employee of State Bank of India and volunteer of Satya Sai Sevak Samiti. On retirement he volunteered for reading books for blind students at Deaf & Dumb School. That gave students a lot of happiness. The hurdle for the blind students was lack of books in Graduation & Post Graduation [FYBA to TYBA, MA, B Ed] Balukaka got a mission and with his determination of recording books for college going blind students. He got books and volunteers and created library of 4022+ Audio Cassettes. He ensured the cassettes where sent to respective students and also collected back as well the quality of the recording was maintained. He wished blind students could do B Ed, M Ed. A lot of students who got cassettes from him are today working on well paying jobs.
He ensured best practice where maintained when recording the cassettes so none of the blind students would find any difficulty. Every cassette was marked with book name and number. He used new cassettes for every recording. He also duplicated the cassettes as needed to avoid repeat recording. He promoted readers to speak their name and contact number in every cassette to ensure blind students can approach the reader in case of difficulty. He never took the money for the expenses incurred from poor blind students.
He also helped blind students to get writers for their exams. [ All University and School board do not provide writers to blind students] This activity had helped more than 45 blind students to graduate. He has dedicated his entire retired life and majority of his wealth to this noble cause. His activities acted as motivation for Shri Kantibhai who than found Navjyot Andhjan Mandal.
Kantibhai Parmar, born on 1st November 1977 in Boral, taluka-bayad jilla –Sabarkantha. He lost his eyesight when he was 10 months old due to smallpox. Up to the age of 10 he had no access to formal education. At the age of 10 his initial education started at the deaf and dumb society (behra –munga) ashram road, Ahmedabad. He studied up to 10th standard there and accomplished his higher education at his village. He did his B.A at Ahmedabad and B.ED at Khambhat.
He came in touch of Shri Balubhai Desai during his FYBA. Later on completion of his education he decided to dedicate his time and his active life for fellow blind men and women. With the influence he had of Shri Balubhai he decided to establish Navjyot Andhjan Mandal on 15th October 2008. This initially started as an audio cassette library at sarkhej, Ahmedabad. The activity included providing audio cassettes to all blind students as well as arranging for writers for blind students exams.
He then pioneered on 16th May 2009, Men’s hostel for working and blind students. He is self motivator and knows agony of blind people being 100% blind since he was an infant.
Rajnikant Chavda, He is majority blind from birth. He meet Kantibhai in 2007, he than passed his 12th in 2009 and joined the noble work with Shri Kantibhai.
He is the secretary of Navjyot Andhjan Mandal and he is like a shadow of Shri Kantibhai. Both are always together in every important event or activity and decision making in Navjyot. He had been help in all activities from cooking, general administration to collection old news papers and other items from donors.
Rajnibhai has not looked back since than and he is 24×7 dedicated to the activities of Navjyot. If one wants to know how can a blind manage living in crowded Ahmedabad, than Rajnibhai can tell you the tale as well the tricks of living efficiently.