This Eid, VEERs meet Bhaijaan...!

As part of the Thums Up Being Human VEER campaign, 150 VEERs today had the opportunity to watch Salman Khan in his latest avatar at a special screening of the movie “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”. The opportunity came as a surprise to these VEER s who completed the training module geared towards providing them skills for employment.

The movie was screened with subtitles and also consisted of a sign language expert to aid the VEERs with hearing disability.

“I feel wonderful coming to a movie theater and watching my favorite super star on screen with all the others. It is not every day that we get an opportunity such as this. I am inspired by the character played by Salman Khan where he fights his limitations to achieve what he wants to. Said an ecstatic VEER  after watching the action packed flick.

Salman Khan, Thums Up Brand Ambassador and founder of the Being Human Foundation said “We started the Thums Up Being Human VEER initiative together last year to help empower the differently abled by providing them with the right set of skills. Today’s screening of Bajrangi Bhaijaan with Sign Language Interpreters and Sub Titles is part of continuing effort to open up the opportunities for the VEER s.  My respect to the VEERs who have demonstrated courage by accepting what they have and taking this step towards transforming their lives. Nothing makes me happier than smiling faces.”

Speaking on the occasion, Debabrata Mukherjee, Vice President, Commercial & Marketing, Coca-Cola India, said, “The Thums Up philosophy of being passionate and strong is something that drives the VEER Campaign. Through this Campaign, we want to encourage all the differently abled to unleash their potential, be strong and overcome the barriers they face. We are working with some great partners like Being Human – The Salman Khan Foundation and AIF and are extremely delighted to now have such eminent partners on board. I congratulate all the VEERs who have overcome their limitation and hope they will inspire many more.”

“Through this special screening, we aimed to reward the Thums Up Being Human VEER with an unforgettable cinematic experience and also inspire them to push the boundaries and showcase their true potential”, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Alok Tandon, CEO, INOX Leisure Ltd, said, “At INOX, it is our constant endeavour to deliver the best possible experience to our guests. We are delighted to be a part of this incredible initiative of introducing the magic of cinema to those that are differently abled.

We hope the screening today brings a smile on the faces of these children and they go back with memories that they will cherish forever. We wish the VEER’s of our country every success and are confident that they will continue to inspire us with their achievements.”

In the first year of the campaign, over 1000 VEERs have received through American India Foundation (AIF) and implementation partners SNF Foundation, DEEDs, ACE Social Foundation and other organizations across India. Out of these 1000, 573 have been employed by 147 employers.

The 127 VEERs employed in Hyderabad with the intervention of implementation partner, ACE Social Foundation, is a reflection of Thums Up and Being Human’s commitment towards  the success of the differently abled in Season-2 of this program.

Each of the VEERs present at the screening had overcome their reality and excelled in their fields through their toofani attitude and with support of the training that has been provided to them via this initiative.  In Season 2, Hans Foundation has joined the campaign as a strategic funding partner and will help scale the campaign to many more cities. In this phase of the campaign, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through its Swawlamban program has also supported the campaign, thus offering reach and knowledge to the partners.

Campaign VEER has proved to us that the opportunity of securing roles across the economy is not just an aspiration for PwDs, it is a reality. Going forward, we at AIF remain committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India by providing equal opportunity and access to employment for persons with disabilities, based on a simple belief-it is one's ability, not disability that defines any individual. The opportunity to enjoy Bajrangi Bhaijaan on the second day of its release and experience the pleasure of movie with lakhs of fans across India, is a huge motivation for our VEERs”, said Nishant Pandey, Country Director, AIF.