Family Of Disabled (FOD) is a not-for-profit organisation serving people with disabilities, since 1992. It runs an assortment of projects providing benefit to people with disabilities so that they can lead a dignified and financially secure life.

FOD has taken another such initiative recently, but this time it has got two-pronged approach -on one hand it aims at saving environment and on the other hand it generates employment for people with disabilities.

Deepak, a trainee with amputation of left lower limb, making a paper bag

FOD collects old newspapers from different households, offices, educational institutions, etc and recycles them by converting them into 3-ply carry bags. For this, FOD also identifies, motivates and imparts training to people with disabilities to manufacture such carry bags and arranges market for the same.

With the ban on plastic bags, we hope that there would be no dearth of market for eco-friendly and cost-effective newspaper carry bags.

Although, I believe that every day should be celebrated as World Earth Day/ World Environment Day but at the same time I also agree that at least on these two days the general public as well as media pay some attention to saving Earth/ Environment and we should utilise this opportunity to generate awareness amongst the masses and try sensitising them. You never know, the impact might last for a year or may be life time (I know I am being too optimistic) but at least we can try.

Madhuri, a hearing impaired trainee being instructed on paper bag making

For this June 5 (World Environment Day), we have designed environment-friendly messages for these bags and would be promoting them at American Express in Gurgaon.

Every one can contribute- a friend of FOD, who happens to be a part of American Express has arranged for the stalls at both the buildings in Gurgaon.

Similarly, the newspapers which we collect are given to us in donation. I appeal to all of you to come forward to support this initiative in whatever way possible.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, "Let's be the change, we want to see in the world."