On September 20, the consul-general, Zha Liyou, and the vice consul-general, Li Shuyue, of the People’s Republic of China visited the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP). The visit commenced with a presentation on IICP’s mission statement and traced its journey since its inception in 1974. After the presentation, the duo took a tour of the institute
All photographs by Krishnungshu Gangopadhyay
The consul-general spoke at length with Indranil Ghosh (left), head of therapy in the family services department. Similarly, he took turns visiting each department of the institution and understanding what they do. Susrita Pradhan (second from right), deputy director, human resource development (IICP) noted that the consul-general took particular interest in the work of the trainers and services offered by IICP. ‘He spoke with all our trainees and our trainees told him about the services that we offer. I hope he continues to be associated with us. I hope this translates into opportunities for our trainers and students so that we can continue doing what we are so passionate about,’ remarked Pradhan
One of the places where the dignitaries stopped by was the kitchen at IICP. Deeply impressed by the dedication of Dipak Naik (in picture), he proceeded to call him a ‘master chef’. ‘I was particularly impressed by the master chef. He is very enthusiastic and positive. He told me how he works here and put his points very clearly. I could see that he was happy. He is a graduate of this school and that is amazing,’ said the consul-general
Following the tour of the institute, the IICP students put up a performance for the guests. ‘As a Chinese consul-general living in Kolkata for the last five years, I am deeply impressed by the facilities provided for the students, especially for the kids from low-income families and I am impressed by the professionalism of the staff and teachers. I am not a professional. I cannot comment on how the training is conducted but I can see the tremendous support behind these programmes. The curriculum design, the facilities design and the books and technology available to the children are all very impressive. I congratulate IICP’s close to 50 years of dedication to serving society,’ said Liyou
The programme concluded with the consul-general’s address to the audience. ‘I hope that if China and India can collaborate on anything, the experiences of vocational training should be one of the subjects to be shared. I do believe that we have not shared enough. How corporate social responsibility can be channelled in a more professional way to support those who are truly in need is something that the Chinese and Indian business communities can sit together and share. I can see the dedication of the teachers and the smiling faces of students and their programmes have truly impressed me. I also saw various organisations have hired some of the kids who graduated from this school, which is incredible,’ he concluded
‘This was the first time they came and it was a great experience. We had reached out to them a few days ago and they were eager to come as well. This was a small programme but it’s nice that they took time out to see our services. What I really liked is that the consul-general was honest about what he liked about IICP. I hope our relationship will continue to grow,’ signed off Sonali Nandi, chief operating officer and director of technical services, IICP
