the candle and the night

As the day was setting, a tiny candle was lit. The night, proud of its powers made fun of her, “Little one, soon you’ll tire out and I’ll take over.”

The candle replied, “Soon the day will be gone and yes, you’ll get stronger by the hour. But don’t you know, the darker you are, the brighter I get?”

Today I’ll tell you about a similar candle and how it is bringing light to so many lives. And maybe, we all could help this candle burn bright in our own little ways…

Founded in January 2005, Esha is a non-profit initiative that is enabling visually impaired people live a better life. In words of its founder, “We are a team of volunteers spread across the country, who believe in equal opportunities for the blind and work towards the same.”

Esha stands for making visually impaired:
• Self-reliant and independent
By generating employment for the visually impaired
• Sensitizing the non-blind
By interactive theatre workshops
• Partnering with corporates for their CSR initiatives
By conducting workplace accessibility audits

You can help bring this light into more people’s lives.

• Help me spread the word, visit the Esha site www.braillecards.org Bookmark it, twitter it, share it on your Face Book or Orkut profile or write a blog post about Esha.

• Ask your boss or HR department to get your visiting cards ‘Braille enabled’. You can also request them to have an accessibility audit at the workplace.

• Take part in other activities of Esha, like its theatre workshop.

Esha does not ask you for any monetary assistance. All it asks for is an open heart and a desire to bring light where it is needed most.

Remember what the candle said to the night, “the darker you are, the brighter I get.”