About the Organization
RCG Foundation- Project Surya is a training centre that provides computer education exclusively for visually challenged youth. The centre is established and run by Rotary Cochin Global (RCG) in collaboration with EnAble India. RCG Foundation was set up with a vision and mission to empower visually challenged individuals by making them computer literate, fluent in English, and confident in their personality. We offer a six-month job-oriented computer training program that includes mobility training, communication skills, and employability training all provided free of cost to eligible candidates.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, RCGF Surya has adapted its training model to include both online and offline modes. From 2023 onwards, we have continued this hybrid approach to maximize outreach and impact.
We are proud to share that 90% of our alumni are currently employed across India in various reputed organizations, including private firms and government offices.
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Highlights and Impact Stories
Aswin V
Man with low vision (50% vision impairment) born in a small town of Alappuzha district in Kerala
Learned about the various aspects of the Disability Sector
Aswin is a 29-year-old man with low vision (50% vision impairment) born in a small town of Alappuzha district in Kerala. He currently lives in Ernakulam, Kerala with his family. His family is made up of father, mother, brother and grandmother. Aswin spent his childhood in northern parts of India as his father was working in the Indian Army. Aswin completed his schooling in Kendriya Vidyalaya ( a central govt school). He was very good in academics as well as co-curricular activities like singing, dancing, theatres etc. At the age of 14 he started finding difficulty in reading and he informed the same to his parents. They took him to an Eyes Specialist and did the initial assessment but surprisingly they came up with a conclusion that there is absolutely no problem with his eyes. Aswin continued his studies further but he started finding more difficulty in reading as his vision was deteriorating gradually. His parents took him to different hospitals but unfortunately no one was able to find the cause of his vision loss. At last doctors of Aravind Hospital, Madurai were able to find the cause. Aswin was diagnosed with Stardgardts ( an optical nervous disorder which defects the macula region in retina which results in losing of central vision).
Aswin was a science student with an ambition of becoming a Space Scientist but unfortunately his vision was deteriorating as a result he was not able to concentrate on his studies. His doctor suggested he take commerce stream as it is comparatively less stressful. Aswin was forced to take B. Com as his graduation degree but his interest was still in space science. He slipped into depression as he was a victim of body shaming and bullying. Eventually he came out of it as he started the habit of meditation and listening to inspirational audio books. After completing B. Com, he took his PG in MBA (HR and Marketing).
He started his career as a Marketing Executive in an E-Commerce company. Eventually he started facing a lot of problems like usage of computers and other travel issues. He was asked to leave the company after 1year. Thereafter he started focusing on the workplace solutions, as a result he came to know about NVDA screen readers. Initially he started learning screen reader all by himself but later on he took the help of experts to learn NVDA. He started creating an interest in the disability sector. He set his goal to work for the empowerment of people with disabilities. He joined Enable India as a soapstone fellow in 2021 where he learned about the various aspects of the disability sector. Aswin is a self-motivated compassionate person whose goal is to create a positive impact in the society with respect to the disability sector.
“Presently Aswin is working as an employee at Cochin Metro railways as a marketing executive. Learnings from RCGF and Enable India helped him to find appropriate workplace solutions.”
Santhosh Joseph
A resident of Thrissur district in Kerala
Learnt tech & mobility skills
Santhosh Joseph, a resident of Thrissur district in Kerala, has been blind for the past six years. He is the son of Joseph and Sophy. Santhosh completed his high school education at Don Bosco School, Irinjalakuda, and his pre-degree education at Government HSS Karuppadanna. He subsequently pursued a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering at Matha College of Technology, completing his degree in 2017.
In 2016, Santhosh was diagnosed with glaucoma, which progressively affected his vision over the next two years, eventually leading to total blindness. Despite this adversity, he overcame depression through yoga and meditation.
Following his visual impairment, Santhosh began working as a supervisor at NTPC, Jharkhand, on a contractual basis. However, due to his deteriorating vision, he was unable to continue this role for more than three months. He sought medical treatment in hospitals in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but unfortunately, medical science could not prevent his vision loss.
Remarkably, Santhosh discovered the world of stock trading after becoming blind. For the past three years, he has been actively trading stocks using a smartphone.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Santhosh enrolled in the eighteenth batch of the RCGF Foundation Course in Computer Science. This course proved to be a transformative experience, equipping him with essential technological and mobility skills. He learned to use a white cane independently, enabling him to travel on his own. Additionally, tools like Excel, internet browsing, and Gmail have significantly enhanced his trading capabilities. The built-in grammar and spelling tools have been instrumental in improving his written communication skills.
“Santhosh is deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the course. It has not only provided him with valuable knowledge but has also introduced him to a supportive community of blind individuals. The social and community projects undertaken during the course have boosted his confidence, inspiring him to consider starting a company for the blind in the future.”
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