A three-hour long fair outside of the Abahoni field in Dhanmondi caught the attention of the pedestrians on Saturday, November 17, as mothers with their kids, rickshaw pullers, students and people in general passing by the stalls stopped to see what was happening. Teachers from PFDA Vocational Training Centre (VTC) and volunteers from JCI Dhaka Central were ready to quickly give out leaflets explaining what the VTC does.
Titled ‘Onuronon’, the fair was organized and sponsored by JCI Dhaka Central with the aim of informing the general public about the VTC, which is a specialized training centre for persons with various types of neurological disabilities. The fair showcased and sold bakery products and handicrafts made by VTC students.
The founding president of Parents Forum for Differently Able (PFDA) and the founding chairman of PFDA-Vocational Training Center, Sajida Rahman Danny said that public events like this help to fight the stigma attached to neurological disabilities, and also to dispel many misconceptions regarding the subject.
“A lot of the time parents are in denial and the ones that accept the condition of their children don’t know what to do next,” said Danny. An event like this can show people, she said, what an organization like VTC can do for the ‘differently abled’.
“The primary target is to reach the parents. People coming across this fair may have someone in their family that has a neurological condition. They can take the information from this fair and tell their family and friends about it,” Danny said.
PFDA-VTC focuses on building real-life skills for students. Currently, the 78 students in the training centre make beads jewellery products and bakery items, which the VTC commercially sells, aiming to equip its students with capabilities that can help them move toward an increasingly independent life, economically and socially. 
This is why JCI Dhaka Central decided to host the fair as the last phase of its ‘Alor Michil’ project, which was initiated to work on this issue. “The event has been very successful. We have managed to reach a lot of people,” said the president of JCI Dhaka Central, Mehzabin Aziz.
“The students that participated in the fair felt empowered. They saw their products being sold and they performed for the public. There was no sense that they were different from the audience and it made them feel normal,” said Sabrina Sharmin, the vice president of JCI Dhaka Central.
“Our goal was to raise social awareness about the very useful skills that VTC students have been able to acquire. It has been a good platform to showcase their work. People were surprised to see beautifully made jewellery and professional quality food at the stalls,” said Khadiza Afrin, the ‘Alor Michil’ project coordinator for JCI Dhaka Central.
After the success of the fair, the organization is keen to organize future public events of similar nature, to create awareness and fight the stigma about neurological disabilities, Khadiza Afrin told Weekend Tribune.
In the first phase of Alor Michil, JCI Dhaka Central, a regional chapter of JCI Bangladesh, held an art exhibition in March featuring paintings by students with neurological or other disabilities. Four specialized schools and training centers participated in the exhibition, including VTC. The project’s final phase ended with Onuronon on Saturday.
JCI (Junior Chamber International) is an international non-profit organisation with presence in 124 countries. It encourages young people to become active citizens and to participate in efforts towards social and economic development, and international co-operation. The century old organisation has consultative status with the Council of Europe, with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and with UNESCO.
