Mitra Jyothi

Mitra Jyothi

For a week I went as a volunteer to the NGO Mitra Jyothi. Mitra Jyothi had been started my grandmother Ms. Madhu Singhal in 1990 and has been a great inspiration for me to strive to work for causes which have good purposes. Mitra Jyothi is for the visually impaired and teaches them that they are no less than anyone else in the world. It teaches them skills and many other things which they can use to their benefit in their daily life.

Mitra Jyothi is open to anyone who wishes to be a volunteer and encourages them to come. The volunteers are an integral part in the growth of Mitra Jyothi. I did a lot in my week at Mitra Jyothi and am proud that I did. There are many ways in which one can help.

I did typing and editing. This is a very important thing as we take story books and we type out what’s there in the story. When you type it out, it is sent to the Braille Printer which prints the story in Braille! Then everyone can use and read it and take the fun of all those Enid Blyton mysteries.

I did database and report managing. It is a very complicated process as you have to go through a lot of complicated data and content. They maintain extensive databases about what CD’s are issued, who are their members, addresses of many people who they sent their talking magazine CD’s too etc. It’s a lot of work and it was handled by only one person. In each database their were columns of things like whether the people coming were students or people with jobs or if they are from rural or urban places. It puzzled me to see such extensive databases and upon asking I understood that they are used to show the investors and funders their stats and show it too possible investors and try to get their funding. There were also monthly reports. It was long. It had everything from the new members, which CD’s taken and how many people benefitted and so on.

I did CD making and packaging. Mitra Jyothi has a monthly talking magazine called Sparda Shrunkala in Kannada which they send out to their members. They also have a current affairs talking magazine in Hindi and English which they also send out. I loaded the data while the man wrote the address. We then seal packed it and put it in envelopes and sent it to the post office.

I did recording. This is the most important thing volunteers do. They have two recording studios with recording mikes and software. You get books and you have to build a structure on the software. Then you have to record every page of the book, like separate pages. They have a talking book library in which people who are visually impaired can purchase these CD’s and listen to them. The recording is done all most completely by volunteers. I recorded two books: With a pinch of salt and Geronimo Stilton the Wild Wild West.

I did editing. After the book is recorded then there is a lot of editing. Putting the sentences in gaps and putting the page numbers and chapters and what not.

This is what I did at Mitra Jyothi and I urge you reader to help in this cause. You can do a lot to help the visually impaired people to live a life where they are equal to all. You can volunteer or lend a helping hand in the production of magazines and talking books. I really liked my work at Mitra Jyothi and made many new friends and learnt many new skills.

You can learn more about this trust by visiting their website:

http://www.mitrajyothi.org/