Mumbai: From the Balsara family—Sam Balsara and Lara Balsara—the father-daughter duo always got their share of limelight for their work in advertising. But on Sunday, Sam’s eldest daughter, Tanya was on spotlight for her work with visually-challenged through Tanya Computer Centre (TCC).
This attention on Tanya was for two reasons— firstly to celebrate the 12th convocation of passing out of student from TCC and other was Madison World starting its CSR journey by starting an NGO named Madison Resource Foundation which has now adopted TCC. While the former dominated the gathering. On Sunday, around 16 students were given certificates (some for completion of computer training and others for learning English). Tanya explains, “It is amazing to hear and connect with these students. During the convocation, I call all my past students and this becomes like a get together for us.” On this convocation, TCC had invited Shalini Saraswathi, a quadruple amputee and a marathoner, to give a motivational speech, to help the students learn from others experience.
Tanya’s relation with her students is more as a friend than a teacher and guides them whenever they want to know anything. “I always tell my students they can call me for any help they need and I will provide them with whatever assistance I can offer,” asserts Tanya.
While most of her students are working with public sector mainly banks, there is very minimal acceptance among private sector. “Many of my students appear for the banking exams and get selected to work with banks,” adds Tanya. Her past students are working with Syndicate Bank, Dena Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB) to name a few.
Tanya, who started this journey in 2006 as a founder and teacher of the training centre, has managed to train 250 visually impaired people to use computers. Since then she was depended on her family to make this project a success, says Tanya. While Tanya gives her family the credit, her father, Sam, on multiple occasions have said it is all Tanya’s efforts.
Looking at the progress made by TCC, Madison Resource Foundation is looking at helping TCC expand its activities in other parts of Mumbai and is looking for like-minded socially committed individuals who can personally lead the centre and train its students.
The centre would be fully-equipped with furniture and fittings, computers, software and entirely financed by Madison Resource Foundation. “We are working on the complete plan to expand the centre,” states Tanya.