NOIDA: Army ex-servicemen will sponsor 50 hearing impaired students.

NOIDA: The Noida Deaf Society got a boost to its initiatives on Tuesday as the Global Initiative of Veterans (GIVE) – a non-profit led by Indian Army veterans – supported 50 of its hearing-impaired students for three months. came forward for sponsorship.

GIVE (Global Initiative of Veterans), a US-based non-profit organization was founded by Major Gurjeet Singh (Retd) and has ex-servicemen with General VK Singh (Retd) as a board member.

“We sponsored all the expenses of 50 children for three months. We are soldiers and we want our children to be the best. So, we decided to raise some funds and within three months we managed to do it. Done,” said Major Gurjeet Singh (Retd).

The gesture coincides with the International Week of the Deaf, celebrated from September 20 to 26.

“I saw the work that Roma Roka, general secretary and founder of Noida Deaf Society, was doing. She is also the daughter-in-law of an army veteran and her brother is a serving brigadier. Finally, we made it to her. The one they deserved,” said Singh, who was inspired to donate to the Noida Deaf Society when he first visited its branch in Sector 117 six years ago.

Roka founded the Noida Deaf Society with her personal savings in a two-bedroom apartment in 2005, when she started teaching five students a basic understanding of English.

According to the Noida Deaf Society, it has so far transformed the lives of 4,500 deaf youth, most of whom hail from remote villages in northern and eastern India. Currently supporting more than 200 students — 120 at the school and 80 at a training center — the organization provides residential facilities for people aged 18 and over from remote areas.

Abhishek, a student from Shahjahanpur, said: “We are grateful to them for their support in our education and training. We hope this support will continue in the future.”