Envisioning Dignity and Care for All

Balan has been connected with various charitable causes in India. One that particularly moved him was a visit to the Helen Keller Institute for the Visually Impaired in Vaniamkulam, near his home town.  The Institute provided refuge as well as vocational training to visually handicapped people so that they could earn their livelihoods and also live with dignity. The trip moved him profoundly and Balan decided to get involved. The living conditions of the residents were terrible, and they lived in abject poverty. Balan decided to improve their facilities by purchasing land for the Institute to build better housing, as well as rooms for workshops and trainings.

Goals

The goal is to raise $35,000: This money will be used to purchase safer and faster equipment to make rope, floor mats, purchase sewing machines, etc. These products will be sold into the local market and make the Institute and the residents self sustaining.

Champion: Balan Menon

Project: Helen Keller Institute for the Visually Impaired

Location: Vaniamkulam, Kerala, India

Balan Menon was born in Kerala, a costal state along southwestern India.  Balan grew up in West Bengal and received his degree in Engineering.  He arrived in the United States in the eighties and has been working since as a business entrepreneur. 

Mr. Ramakrishnan, founder of the Helen Keller Institute for the Visually Impaired

In the Words of the Champion

Khadi weaving - purely by touch and feel

Hand-making of coir mats - despite the inability to see, inmates of the Helen Keller institute weave intricate patterns on the mats

Why do you think there is a need for Champions in the United States for causes such as your's?

Champions in the US become a conduit of information for Americans who may be unaware of the plight of millions around the world.  A Champion becomes the spokesperson for a cause that he or she is passionate about, and it establishes credibility.

Was there someone or some experience in your life that influenced you to support projects?

My desire to support the needy, especially children, happened when a blind little boy came to me begging for money. It was a crowded market place, and people pushed and shooed him away. Not sure why, but the scene is vivid in my mind.

How did you find the project you are representing? What made you want to become its Champion?

I was visiting my hometown and a friend took me to a home for the blind. The living conditions were pathetic. In fact, they were living in abject poverty. But the people there seemed happy and contended. I decided I should do something for them.

Could you share a memorable anecdote from one of your visits to the project?

I took my 7-year-old daughter, Leela, to the Helen Keller Institute in 2005. She toured the place with me. When we left, she told me that she didn't see a single blind person. The members of this Institute are so adept in their surrounding -- you would never think they are blind.

How does OWCF nurture your passion for being a part of social change in the world?

OWCF offers a platform where you meet like-minded people. The enthusiasm is phenomenal and very encouraging.