Akash dropped out of school in class 8th. He then started working in his father's factory where he was getting Rs. 1000 per month as pocket money. The business failed and the factory was closed down leaving Akash unemployed. Akash, however did not give up. He joined another factory where he worked as a thread cutter. He started earning Rs. 2000 per month. But somehow deep in his heart Akash wasn't satisfied as he knew he was capable of much more.

One day he saw some Deaf young boys signing on the road. He approached them and they told him about Noida Deaf Society (NDS). He joined NDS and started learning. However at the same time there was a lot of pressure from home and his father wanted him to join a job. Akash however felt that if he wanted to do something with his life, he first needed to develop the right skills and so he continued to learn.

After one and half years, Akash was now ready to step into the big world again. He was elated when NDS offered him a training opportunity with Taj Palace, a leading Hotel in New Delhi. He underwent an in house orientation on the Hospitality Industry at NDS and was then taken to the hotel for an interview.

His big smile caught everyone's attention at the hotel and he was selected as a trainee in the Laundry Department. Today Akash is a proud member of the Taj team and is earning Rs. 6500 per month. His hardworking nature is clearly reflected in the fact that the one weekly off that he gets, he comes to NDS and is continuing to learn here. He is truly someone who does not stop and continues to dream big and make efforts to get there!! Akash signs, "I thank Ruma Ma'am and NDS for helping me find a job of my choice and I am happy and satisfied". His sheer determination is going to take him a long way ahead and we wish him all the very best!

Yogesh with his entrepreneurial spirit and a determination to do something made him experiment a lot in life. He started small businesses but failed. For seven years he kept struggling. He ventured into a Tiffin Service. Then he started selling momos on the road side but the authorities did not give him permission and he had to stop within 4 months of starting.

Just when he was about to give up all hope, he came to NDS and requested for help in finding him a job. NDS had been associated with him when he was in the Tiffin Service Business and knew that this boy had it in him to work hard and make something out of his life.
Soon thereafter NDS had a wonderful training opportunity with Taj Palace. Yogesh was put on training at NDS and he was now ready to face the interview at Taj Palace

When Yogesh shared his story, the team knew that this boy understood the value of work and they selected him for the Laundry department. Today you will see him walking around in this uniform carrying clean linen.

Yogesh is a widower with a 4 year old daughter. He lost his wife barely few years months after he joined Taj. When you meet him, you will not see the struggles or the pain that he has gone through at this young age, you will only see a smile and a never dying spirit!

24 year old, Nabi belongs to a re-settlement colony in Madanpur Khadar, New Delhi. His father used to sell peanuts on the road side many years back. The Municipal Authorities started creating problems and soon he was without work, without money. Nabi's mother, inspite of belonging to a conservative Muslim family was the sole breadwinner for many years. Despite ill health she works as a cook in a small organization. Nabi was doing his best to support his family by teaching small children from his neighborhood till he came to know about NDS.

In 2009 he joined NDS and started the process of learning. A boy brought up in a hearing environment first found it difficult since he did not know sign language. He worked hard and in no time was seen helping other new students who were struggling to learn. Nabi was always inquisitive about the world at large and would often stay back after classes and get more and more information from the teachers.

Nabi joined Computer Networking and Hardware training organized by Mphasis at NDS. The world of computers always fascinated him and you would often find him fiddling with the mother board and CPUs after class.

Nabi's hardwork and determination paid off when NDS facilitated his placement at Mphasis, Pune. Today he is beyond recognition, smartly dressed up and beaming with confidence. He lives independently in Pune, earning a handsome salary. Nabi is working hard to save money so that his mother can one day relax at home and look after her health. You ask him his dream and he smiles and signs "I want to build a house for my parents and see them living comfortably. I want to support Deaf children by teaching them so that they do not have to suffer the way I suffered. I want NDS to grow and help other Deaf who are going through so much in life. I want to thank NDS for bringing me to this level".

Usha Kumari was an eager learner who always wanted to find a place for herself in the society. A place where she can be proud of her achievements and herself. The highest education offered by her school was senior secondary, so she completed that but after that she was clueless about what to do next. She knew where she wanted to be but had no idea how and what to do to achieve it. Through her fellow students at school she learned about Noida Deaf Society and the vocational training provided by them. She asked and convinced her family to take her to NDS and eventually she joined NDS.

After that her life completely changed. She learned Indian Sign Language, English and Keyboarding skills at NDS. During that time she got to know that many of the students from NDS were getting place in hospitality industry. When she explored and questioned her fellow students who got placed with different hotels about the work culture, she felt that she had found her calling. She then discussed her aspiration of working in hospitality industry with her teachers and parents. After seeing the motivation and eagerness she had, they decided to support her. So when new openings came through in hospitality industry at NDS, she was placed. She is now working with Vivata by Taj in their security team.

Since she comes from a middle class family with limited income, she feels proud to be able to contribute in her family's income. In words of her father "She is living a respectable life which I never ever believed that a deaf person is capable of. NDS showed her a new way to life, a drive to her dreams. We are proud of her." Usha on other hand only has one thing to say that "I am what I am only because of the training and opportunities NDS gave me."

Gayatri was always interested in learning new things. She joined NDS after completing her 10th class to primarily build her communication skills. She comes from a big family of six people. At the time she joined NDS, her father and sister were only earning member in the family. Even though they managed well enough, Gayatri always wanted to help and contribute to her family and create her own identity. Today she is doing exactly that. In a way she is living one of her many dreams.

She is now working with Taj Mahal Hotel in their housekeeping team. To be on time for her job she leaves at around 5:30 in the morning, but she is never late for the job no matter what. Her father thinks she is the most responsible of all her siblings. The commitment level shown by her is commendable. Today not only is she happy but satisfied with herself and life at large. She knows and values the opportunity and support provided to her by her family and NDS.

Sharique, a 20 year old hearing impaired boy comes from Bhagalpur, a small town in Bihar. Belonging to a Muslim family of six people, with only one earning member, life was never easy for him. He completed his schooling till class X and was desperate to do something with his life.

A place like Bhagalpur had little to offer especially for someone with hearing impairment. He then took the tough call of moving to Delhi in order to get some skills. He got to know about Noida Deaf Society and how it was working towards providing specialized training for the Deaf and enabling them to find gainful employment. It was not easy to live independently and managing the running of the house and the expenses that come with living in a city like Delhi. With some Deaf friends he took up a small place on rent. He joined NDS and started learning Basics of Computer and English Communication Skills. After completing his Basic MS Office, he joined the DTP and Graphic Design Program and started to work on design softwares.

Sharique was an average student and he had to work really hard to come at par with his other class mates. Things were not as easy for him as he was slow at learning compared to others. But he never gave up. Then the struggle of finding a job started. The wait was a long one. Finally he was placed at a small organization with Data Entry work but as luck would have it, the organization was not doing so well and there would be long delays in payment. Being away from his family, it was a hand to mouth existence and these delays in payment did not help his situation. He finally had to give up and he came back to NDS.

By then NDS was starting a new training program for students who were inclined towards IT. The course was on Computer Networking and Hardware. This immediately interested Sharique and he enrolled for it. Having a good foundation in IT now and realizing how tough it was to sustain oneself at the work place, he doubled his efforts and gave the training his 100 per cent.

Soon after the training, an opportunity came with a leading Bank but unfortunately he did not clear the interview as he was only 10th pass. This really disappointed Sharique as this time he really had hope. NDS kept motivating him as we knew that his struggles would one day pay off. And then NDS took him for another interview. This time, it was with a leading Retail store called Heritage which is also into exports of high quality garments. A lot of preparation went before the interviews, where he was given intensive sessions on work ethics, life skills and how to face an interview.

Finally it happened! He was selected and immediately put on the job training facilitated by NDS. Today smartly dressed in his uniform he works on a special software and keeps track of the various garments produced by Heritage. His interest in photography was also noticed and he has also been given the additional responsibility of taking photographs of the sample designs and archiving it in the company records. Simran Nanda, partner and owner of Heritage shared a positive feedback and said that Sharique is a good learner and he never hesitates to offer help to his team members. He is respectful of everyone and is doing well.

The tough journey Sharique faced to get where he has reached, makes him value what he has today. And it was his attitude of not giving up despite obstacles and failures that has got him where he is today.

24 year old Abhishek belongs to a small village in a district called Sagar in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Deaf by birth, Abhishek grew up in his small village and completed his studies. His father works as a goldsmith and he is the one who is looking after the house as Abhishek's mother expired some years back. Extremely humble and respectful are the two qualities that best describe Abhishek. He shifted to Noida, away from his father to get trained as he knew that NDS was providing employment oriented training and felt that he could make a career if he could get the right skills. He enrolled and started learning English, sign Language and then went on to do Basic IT Training.

Abhishek had heard that NDS had facilitated placements for many Deaf youth with a company called Agro Tech Foods (ATFL), a leading FMCG company. NDS and ATFL share a wonderful partnership and had facilitated employment for Deaf youth across the country. Fortunately and also the first time ever, ATFL decided to take in Merchandisers from NDS for its stores in Madhya Pradesh.

It was a perfect opportunity as Abhishek really wanted to go back to his community and start work there so that he could be close to his family and also support them. Abhishek has acquired his skills and was then put on Pre employment training. The team from ATFL came to NDS and together we organized the training giving a detailed orientation to the candidates as to what the profile entails. Abhishek participated with great vigor and immediately caught the attention of the ATFL trainer. He was one of the quickest learners in the batch and was immediately selected.

He underwent a one month on the job training in Delhi NCR at one of their stores where he was responsible for display and management of ATFL's stock and sales. He was successful during the training and finally the day arrived to leave Noida and move to Bhopal, where he was going to be stationed. Abhishek could not believe his luck that he would get this opportunity so close to home. He took blessings from everyone at NDS and took the train to Bhopal to embark this new journey and stand on his own two feet.

The biggest success has been that the Deaf community in Madhya Pradesh is witnessing how Abhishek is today working with such a leading company and is in a profile which has direct customer interface and is still able to perform so well despite his hearing impairment and add value to his company. Seeing this success today we have many Deaf youth from Madhya Pradesh who are coming forth to join us. He is truly become a role model and is inspiring many others like him to make something of their lives.