Thums Up Being Human Veer, an awareness and fundraising campaign on ‘unleashing the inner potential of persons with disabilities’ recently celebrated Veer Day by felicitating 75 Persons with Disabilities (PwD) called Veers (Brave).
Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Venkatesh Kini, President, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia and M A Ravi Kumar, CEO, American India Foundation, were present on the occasion.
The Veer Day marks an important milestone for the campaign that celebrated the enrollment of 500 PwDs for education, skill training, employment and overall development. Veer partners – National Deaf Society, SNS Foundation and National Association for the Blind were also present at the occasion.
The Veers as part of the campaign have successfully ‘graduated’ through the program, displaying a combination of hard work and application of their abilities to the best possible extent. Veer works with differently-abled people across India to give them a voice and an opportunity to fulfill their own ambition to the best of their ability. Through a mass media and engagement campaign, Veer aims to change the way people look at the differently-abled and showcase the huge talent and potential waiting to be unleashed.
Salman Khan, Thums Up Brand Ambassador and founder of the Being Human Foundation, said: “I wish this batch all the luck for the future. Many of you are on the threshold of starting your career and today is the day we celebrate your abilities and strengths. I would like to thank all our partners, the teachers and donors who have contributed towards the success of this campaign.”
Of the 500 Veers enrolled under the campaign so far, 421 have been provided with adequate functional and skill development training required for multifarious industries including BPO & ITES, Digital Film Restoration, Hospitality and Physiotherapy etc. The training and subsequent placement efforts have led to placement of 293 Veers with various corporates.