Credit the nation
9/27/05
A glimmer of light for Oom
Actress and businesswoman Siriyakorn “Oom� Pukavesa recently emerged from seven days in the world of darkness with a clear vision of how to help the blind.
The actress, who spent a week blindfolded for TV’s “Joh Jai’s Rare Meet Real� programme, has raised nearly Bt1 million through sales of her neat black T-shirts emblazoned with the message “Love can make blind peoples’ lives better�. The money will fund education for people with disabilities.
And that’s just the beginning.
“Giving them money is not a sustainable solution,� says Oom. “During the week I spent pretending to be blind, I learned about the problems they face and what they really want.�
The actress says that above all, the blind want to be self-sufficient. They want to work but have few opportunities to land good jobs,
“Many blind people are well educated. Some hold bachelors’ degrees. Some even hold master’s degrees. But it’s difficult for them to find careers that match their potential so they end up selling lottery tickets just to survive.�
Her second project – “Work for the Blind� – aims to open the job market for the visually challenged. In association with the Thailand Association for the Blind, Baan Oom will act as a coordinating centre between the blind and companies interested in recruiting qualified staff.
“They have tremendous potential. Some have excellent computer skills. Some hold law degrees, others art degrees. It’s not necessary to build a new infrastructure to accommodate them. They are adaptable and learn fast.
“I’ve already recruited Nong Moo, the girl with whom I sold lottery tickets. At first I didn’t know what she could do. She now works as a coordinator, she’s responsible for the documentation and handles translations from English to Thai.�
Baan Oom has prepared 50,000 forms for companies interested in hiring the blind and is distributing them to Toyota showrooms and Central shopping centres. The companies are asked to note the positions they feel the blind can fill. The document can also be downloaded at www.baanoom.tv from October 1.
“They will, of course, be limitations in certain circumstances, but blind people are just as capable as sighted individuals in many fields. We should give them more opportunities. We should open our minds and change our attitudes. We can make their lives so much better,� says Oom.
Tanaporn Prakhamthong
The Nation
9/27/05
A glimmer of light for Oom
Actress and businesswoman Siriyakorn “Oom� Pukavesa recently emerged from seven days in the world of darkness with a clear vision of how to help the blind.
The actress, who spent a week blindfolded for TV’s “Joh Jai’s Rare Meet Real� programme, has raised nearly Bt1 million through sales of her neat black T-shirts emblazoned with the message “Love can make blind peoples’ lives better�. The money will fund education for people with disabilities.
And that’s just the beginning.
“Giving them money is not a sustainable solution,� says Oom. “During the week I spent pretending to be blind, I learned about the problems they face and what they really want.�
The actress says that above all, the blind want to be self-sufficient. They want to work but have few opportunities to land good jobs,
“Many blind people are well educated. Some hold bachelors’ degrees. Some even hold master’s degrees. But it’s difficult for them to find careers that match their potential so they end up selling lottery tickets just to survive.�
Her second project – “Work for the Blind� – aims to open the job market for the visually challenged. In association with the Thailand Association for the Blind, Baan Oom will act as a coordinating centre between the blind and companies interested in recruiting qualified staff.
“They have tremendous potential. Some have excellent computer skills. Some hold law degrees, others art degrees. It’s not necessary to build a new infrastructure to accommodate them. They are adaptable and learn fast.
“I’ve already recruited Nong Moo, the girl with whom I sold lottery tickets. At first I didn’t know what she could do. She now works as a coordinator, she’s responsible for the documentation and handles translations from English to Thai.�
Baan Oom has prepared 50,000 forms for companies interested in hiring the blind and is distributing them to Toyota showrooms and Central shopping centres. The companies are asked to note the positions they feel the blind can fill. The document can also be downloaded at www.baanoom.tv from October 1.
“They will, of course, be limitations in certain circumstances, but blind people are just as capable as sighted individuals in many fields. We should give them more opportunities. We should open our minds and change our attitudes. We can make their lives so much better,� says Oom.
Tanaporn Prakhamthong
The Nation
