George Abraham is a social worker. The founding Chairman of the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) and the Association for Cricket for the Blind in India (ACBI), he is also the founder of the SCORE Foundation in New Delhi that helps several visually impaired people live their life on their own terms by providing them with employment and teaching them new skills.
Abraham was born on 31 October 1958 in [London]. His father was an engineer from [Kerala]. At the age of ten months, Abraham suffered from meningitis which caused permanent damage to his optic nerve and retina, thus making him visually impaired.
At the age of two, Abraham's family re-located to India. Around this time, Abraham's parents took a decision that would shape his future- to send him to mainstream school in spite of his disability. The decision however brought challenges. As Abraham schooled at La Martinirin Lucknow, Frank Anthony's in Delhi and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Hubli, keeping up academically with his peers was a struggle.
Abraham was unable to read his school books but his parents were determined to educate him in the mainstream. Abraham would do combined studies with his school friends. His mother read out the texts from school books and his father assisted him with mathematics. They instilled confidence in their son and this was to be his greatest strength.
Abraham was a keen debater and a dedicated athlete. Cricket was a passion.
George Abraham was educated at the prestigious St. Stephen's College, Delhi where he graduated with an Honours degree in Mathematics in 1979. Abraham went on to gain a master's degree in Operations Research in 1981.
Abraham started his career with ASP (Advertising and Sales Promotion Co) in New Delhi in 1982. In 1985 he joined advertising firm Ogilvy, Benson & Mather in Mumbai as Account Executive.
After re-locating to New Delhi, Abraham worked as a Freelance Consultant planning and producing communication material, training in communication skills development, organising seminars and inspirational speaking.
In 1989 George Abraham visited a school for the blind in New Delhi. It struck him that the children there were made to feel inferior, handicapped and were left to believe that opportunities for them were limited or even non-existent. The incident had the impact of a hammer blow. Abraham realised that the blind needed opportunity not sympathy. They needed to be given the chance to become equal, productive, self-reliant and realise their dreams.
Abraham decided to quit his job and dedicate his life to working with the visually impaired.