Our Work

After two years of working together, Safiya described her rehabilitation worker Veena as being like a sister to her. © Abhisek Sarda / Sightsavers

After two years of working together, Safiya described her rehabilitation worker Veena as being like a sister to her. © Abhisek Sarda / Sightsavers

Print this Page

Beyond the call of duty

Meet Veena, a rehabilitation worker, whose job is to teach disabled people in her community the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives. She is employed by Sightsavers' partner the National Association for the Blind (NAB) Kerala, in South India.

Veena is also an Accredited Social Health Activist, or ASHA, a type of community health worker appointed by the Indian Government. A predominantly female role, It involves basic first aid, family planning, and work with vaccinations for children. ASHAs like Veena also act as a point of communication between the local healthcare system and rural populations, such as the village of Mavelikkara, where we met Veena with Safiya, one of her clients.

 “When I first started working with Safiya she was very reluctant to leave the house. She said she was old and didn’t want to learn new things. It took a lot of effort to convince her and get her interested,” Veena told us.

This was two years ago. Since then, Veena has not only taught Safiya to move around independently using a white cane, but helped her get an ID card and a disability certificate. This means that she now qualifies for health insurance.

“She has helped me become more confident,” Safiya revealed. “She is like my sister.”

Veena also encouraged the local community to come together and buy a goat for Safiya, which she will be able to earn money from when it is old enough to breed and produce milk.

“I feel a great sense of satisfaction doing this job,” she said. “When I see the happiness of people like Safiya it gives me immense pleasure.”