Meeting with GMR trainees in MESH Design Studio:

The newly constructed airport by GMR Group in Delhi left many slum dwellers relocate from their present station to a permanent dwelling place in the capital. However, the GMR Group is trying to help the people of these slums in education, health, empowerment through skill training etc.

During our recent visit to MESH Design studio, there are two young boys age 18 and 19; both brothers from the slum learning screen printing. The GMR Group approached MESH Design Studio with regard to training for these young boys and the latter decided to provide one for free for the first time. MESH do not encourage children below 18 to work. They both cannot hear and talk and have studied upto primary level. They do not know any sign language which made it difficult for us to communicate with them for long. A volunteer of GMR helps MESH designer and the boys to communicate with each other and whose services is taken care of by GMR.

We had a brief conversation with the boys in order to know their views on their new venture. They are eight in their family out of which three are facing the same challenge. One of their siblings is working abroad. Three younger siblings are going to school.One of them plays cricket but both of them did not know anything about screen printing. They were sent to MESH Design studio for three weeks to learn the art of screen printing. They love working on the screen printing- learning how to mix the pigments, how to get the desired/required color, how to iron the clothes and how to hold the screen and do the screen printing.

Till now they were taught and have worked on stencil and enamel screen printing. Now they will be trained in photographic screen printing.

GMR Group is one of the fastest growing infrastructure organisations in the country with interests in Airports, Energy, Highways and Urban Infrastructure (including SEZ). Employing the Public Private Partnership model, the Group has successfully implemented several infrastructure projects in India.[1]

Note: I looked up in the internet to find an appropriate word to address those who can not hear and speak. There are many words to address them…deaf and dumb, deaf and mute and hearing impaired but one or the way, it is considered a derogatory remark. The best is to ask the people how they want to be addressed. I have not used any term for them as I was not able to communicate for them for too long.

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[1] Information from the internet