Blind school to train girls as call centre operators
Meet students of Braj Kishore Netraheen Vidyalaya, a Ranchi-based non-profit school for visually impaired girls, who are set to create history by becoming the first batch of visually challenged students in Eastern India and only the second in India after Pune, to be employed by a mobile operator company to run their call centre.
The students of Braj Kishore Netraheen Vidyalaya will soon create history by becoming the first batch in the Eastern India and second in the country, after Pune, to work as call centre operators.
14 girls in the 15-19 age group are undergoing training in their school to become call operators.
The mobile operator company, Vodafone, had earlier sent these girls to Pune for the initial training.
Now, back in their school, the girls are spending hours practising what they learnt in Pune.
Dressed in school uniform, Sunita Kumari of class 10 made her first test call on Thursday. “Hello sir, this is Sunita. May I know your full name please? I would like to inform you about three offers on your number. Can I speak to you for a few minutes?” she said effortlessly and wished the customer a good day before ending the call.
Neelu Verma, the founder-trustee of Braj Kishore Netraheen Vidyalaya, a non-profit school in Ranchi, said the call centre training wing will become operational on the campus from next month. Special computers with text-to-speech software have been installed at the centre to help the students operate them with ease.
Verma says: “The idea came to me after coming across a model in the Technical Training Institute in Pune where the blind students received training to work in call centres.”
The school authorities will decide about the placement of the girls once the training is over. “We are in talks with a few telemarketing companies and will decide by the next month,” said Verma.
One of the trainers and in-charge of the call centre wing, Sanjay Kumar Sinha, said, “Given an opportunity, these girls are as capable as anyone in taking up challenges. They are equally dedicated about their studies and attend classes regularly.”
The school authorities said the girls will earn a monthly remuneration ranging between Rs 3,000 and Rs 6,000 once employed by the telecom companies.
Vandana Mandi, 19, a trainee, said, “This opportunity has come to us at the right time, as the money we earn later will help us pursue our studies too. Ultimately, each one of us wants to become financially independent.”
Sunita Kumari of class 10, blind since birth, said: “I want to perform well in the telemarketing field and also encourage juniors to hone this skill.”