RASHMI MARUWADA: an outstanding achiever in 2016 West Bengal Board Madhyamik examination

 

   TAYYARI  JEET  KI

      As the bell rings, slowly the children of Patha Bhavan High School, Kolkata, come out of the gate to their parents who are waiting for them. Among them, a 12 year old girl busy talking with her friends comes out very confidently. Her mother calls her and holds her hand and brings her out of the gate. This girl, Rashmi Maruvada is a Visually Impaired (VI), studying in class VI.

      Rashmi Maruvada was born with Sclerocornea, micro-opthalmus and nystagmus eye condition. She underwent cornea transplant at Chennai. But unfortunately it turned out to be unsuccessful. Our dreams, hopes were shattered. We slowly picked up the threads and accepted the fact that our daughter Rashmi will never be able to see this beautiful world. Thus we began acquiring knowledge about bringing up a Visually Impaired child.

   Rashmi’s training started with the completion of milestones at the right time. We met Ms. Henna Basu and Mrs. Ruma Chatterjee of Society for the Visually Handicapped (SVH), Kolkata. Under their counseling and guidance, I started learning Braille. It was the beginning of my learning, and then I passed this on to Rashmi. Rashmi is a very active, intelligent and quick learner.

   We wanted her to study in a normal school. We faced many rejections from the principal of many schools. Finally principal of Patha Bhavan School, Mrs. Pradipta Kanungo, gave her admission. Under the training of Mrs. Supti Mukherjee, she learned her lessons and activities. Slowly she climbed the stairs of her academic year’s I-V. Each day was a new learning day for her as well as for me. I became her full time teacher providing her with all the assistance and experiences a normal child of her age would ever have.

     She learns Carnatic Music from her guru Mrs. Girija  Sivasailam. She has given many public performances and also participated and won many competitions.

     She had been to a trekking camp and learned rafting and kayaking in the month of October 2010. It was the most memorable experience for us. She was the youngest of all the campers at Rishikesh-Haridwar for this white water rafting and kayaking. This exposure has really made her more confident and independent. She had also undergone a mountaineering training at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling in the month of February 2011. This time she had gone alone with a group of 50 people. These trekking camps were organized by Society for the Visually Handicapped. 

       On 28^th Of August, 2010, she dreamt about riding a cycle which is pre-programmed with the route. She could go to all her usual places on her own with just one button pressed. When she shared this dream and asked whether such cycle existed, I was not sure if it did. Just two days after, I came across a national competition for children below 18 yrs being organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF). I sent in her dream idea, for the competition. On 14^th Oct.2010, we got a call from NIF informing us about her idea being selected out of 2,139 entries. We could not believe until we got a mail from them confirming the news. She has been awarded by none other than the Ex. President of India and the greatest scientist of our country Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam , on 8^th Nov. 2010. This day was the most important day of our life. She has proved to the society that she is no less than a normal child. Given an opportunity, she can do wonders!!!  This was the message she has sent to all the disabled people through her achievement. She has also got the patent rights for this idea. The link to know more details:   “A tricycle with Pre-Programmed Route for Visually Challenged”,which has also been awarded with Patent Titled “ Vehicle with Pre-Programmed Route System” Patent No.1243/KOL/2010 by the Indian Patent Office.

 http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-achievers-amazing-innovations-from-indian-school-children/20101119.htm

      Her achievement was unbelievable for some people and this has changed the attitude among the people who had doubts on her capabilities. She was interviewed by many TV channels and AIR Gujarat and Delhi.

     She has a long way to go and achieve her goals. And we are confident; she will make us proud again and again.

     Home is the first place of learning. She has got full support and encouragement from her elder sister, cousins, grandmother, aunt and uncle who were always there in need.

    There were times, when we were confused - not knowing how to bring her up or how to deal with the concepts of upbringing. As parents, we have always encouraged her in all the ways. She is very enthusiastic and curious to know about various things. She loves to explore new things and the environment around her.

   She has always been supported by many people including friends, teachers (Patha Bhavan High school), mentors from SVH and Mrs. Sue Rogers from Bristol.

   She has made us proud parents by her achievements!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Annapurna Maruvada and Kali Murali Maruvada

PH. No.  : 9163548561, 033-40014686, 9051016384

Email : anu9630@gmail.com

            kalimurali@yahoo.com

Employed Blind Persons in West Bengal, a survey 2016. Case study 1: Mr Laltu Pal.

31-03-2016

Case Study: laltu pal

Personal Information

Name: LALTU PAL

Gender: MALE

Date of Birth: 15 November 1977

Nature of vision loss:  Lost vision in childhood and became 100% Blind.

Address: Village & PO Benipur, PS Magrahat, Dist South 24 Parganas PIN 743355

Contact No: 91 9830712858

Education

Passed Xth WB Board Examination from Blind Boys’ Academy, Ramakrishna Mission Narendrapur, Kolkata 700103.

Passed HS XI-XII WB HS Council Examination from Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, Narendrapur, Kolkata 700103.

Passed BA with Bengali Hons, MA in Bengali and BEd from Jadavpur University, Kolkata

Present occupation

Employed since 2008 as Assistant Teacher, Mathurapur Arya Bidyapith H S School, after qualifying in the School Service Examination conducted by the Government of West Bengal, Kolkata.

Family life

Laltu’s father late Gobindo Pal had a poultry business. His mother Ruby Pal is a housewife. Laltu married Bandana Pal aged 32 years a sighted graduate who chose to remain a housewife. Laltu has one son Abhigyan, 2 ½ years old with normal vision whom Laltu teaches with the help of his laptop.

Contribution of SVH

In the words of Laltu, “From my BA studies in 1999 I took support from SVH till I completed my MA course of studies 2004. If I hadn’t received the audio books in cassettes at that time I would have had to spend a lot of money and waste time to achieve my educational goal.”

SVH’s  assessment

Laltu first came in contact with SVH during our annual Mountaineering Training program at Himalayan Mountaineering Institutte, Darjeeling, under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India,  in 1997 when he along with three of his Blind classmates were deputed by the Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys’ Academy, Narendrapur, Kolkata.

Completing his HS he reported to us for education support and he was given resource-support to our utmost capacity.

After a long gap, toward the beginning of this year 2016 Laltu came to place requisition for digital books and Braille books. He was informed that the material is ready and on 28 March 2016 Laltu came to SVH Library to collect his reading material and with a special request. He needed a computer program with visuals and sound to enable him to teach his sighted son through his laptop.

With The Hans Foundation  support it was possible to supply Laltu the digital books, Braille books and the software “Bengali Rhymes”  applying which he will be able to teach his sighted son Bengali alphabets.

From SVH collection of  tactile books gifted by Clearvision, UK we handed him a children’s inkprint book with Braille adaptation.

Laltu Pal on right. Left is Ambarish Sen (Blind and a beneficiary of SVH) , Lecturer in English,

  Barasat Government College.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DeafBlind students mainstreamed. From 01 April 2016 Singari Devi Trust, Jaipur is sponsoring their education support by paying monthly scholarship.

Personal Information

1.   KUMARI CHHOTTI KUMARI SHAW.  Age 30 years. Residing at Voice of World Home, No 3, Chidam Mudi Lane, PO Hatibagan, Kolkata 700006. Ph 91 9874955683

Chhotti and her elder brother Bacchan Shaw, both totally Blind came to our Society way back in 1991-92. Their father ran a chana shop on the footpath of Burrabazar (the wholesale market), Kolkata and somehow managed to live in a shanty there. Their mother though illiterate and dehati, got Bacchan admitted in the Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boy’s Academy, Narendrapur, Kolkata  and Chhotti in the Lighthouse for the Blind School. Soon after Bacchan left his school as he could not cope with book-learning and took up music, having an extraordinarily musical voice. He was taken as a student by my (Hena Basu) uncle late Netail Bose, a reputed setarist of Jaipur Seniya Gharana and began taking lessons in vocal music visiting our home  (at Paikpara) frequently) and performing at various places.

Chhotti however continued her education in the Lighthouse for the Blind School, she began suffering from a rapid hearing loss, but completed her Xth Board examination. Meanwhile her aged parents died and she was given a shelter in Voice of World Home. Chhotti kept regular contact with our Society, received education and other support and to our utter surprise cleared her XI-XIIth examination successfully and got herself admitted in Khudiram Bose Central College, Kolkata for BA Pass Course under the Calcutta University.

What is amazing about Chhotti is that despite her two major organ-impairments, she manages to keep her face smiling and cheerful, moves independently and participates in all activities of our Society, forcing her inclusion. During SVH’s recent Coastal Trek Project in Puri, Odisha, February  10-14, 2016, a special workshop on Odishi dance was held for Blind participants (male & female) where Chhotti had a lot of fun in experiencing the dance postures that made her body flexible.

Our Society has been supporting her with some Adhoc grant of scholarship but this time she appealed to us for a monthly support to enable her continue education.

Personal Information

1.      Name: MISS CHUMKI PRAMANICK

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: 16 March 2002

Nature of vision loss: 100%. She uses a pair of spectacles to overcome the haziness in her front vision. A patient of Glaucoma, she underwent an operation at the age of one and a half months.

Nature of Hearing loss: She suffered from hearing loss since the age of two years. At the age of five years ENT surgeon in a Govt Hospital advised surgery but warned her parents that they cannot guarantee regaining of hearing.

Since she was having a major vision problem parents did not take the risk of an ear operation. Now she can hear when sound comes close to her ears.

Address: Village : Halisahar Sarkapara, PS Bijpur, PO Halisahar, North 24 Parganas,PIN 743134

                  West Bengal. Halisahar is 42.35 Kms from Kolkata

Contact No: 91 98369 54635

Parents

Father is Narayan Pramanick. A daily earner, Narayan is illiterate. He sells fish daily moving in the locality.

Mother is Khukumoni Pramanick. She studied upto Class VIII; she stitches artificial woolen flowers and prepares, garlands, asan, bags from material deposited to her and then collected from her for sale. She has an elder daughter who is married.

Education

Khukumoni took a lot of interest in getting Chumki educated despite her impairments. She was not aware of the facilities available for her daughter’s special needs but what she did was she got Chumki admitted into a local primary General school named “Saraswat Pathsala”, Halisahar where Chumki studied from Class I to IV. At present she is studying at Kanchrapara Udbodhani Madhyamik Vidyapith in Class VII.

While getting enrolled in the latter School, Khukumoni took Chumki to the Sarva Siksha Mission Resource Room where she met Govt-appointed Special Educator Tapasi Nandi, also a dedicated volunteer of SVH, who initiated Deaf-Blind Project of SVH in West Bengal after completing Diploma (Special Education Deaf & DeafBlind) training from Helen Keller Institute for Deaf & DeafBlind, Mumbai.

Although Chumki’s school does not have an Inclusive set up to facilitate her progress yet her class mates and teachers are exceptionally friendly and helpful to her. They note down in her exercise books relevant information and during playtime if she missed hearing something they draw her attention instantly.

Chumki has perfect daily living skills, looks pretty with her colorful clothes and whenever she joins SVH Camps or Workshops she feels cheered up. Her parents play an active role in her mainstreaming as well as in participation of SVH projects. During SVH’s recent Coastal Trek Project in Puri, Odisha, February  10-14, 2016, a special workshop on Odishi dance was held for Blind participants (male & female) where Chumki had a lot of fun in experiencing the dance postures that made her body flexible.

Service extended to Chumki from SVH

1.      An Adhoc scholarship of Rs 1000/- from THF for her education support.

2.      Arranging for a private tutor at her home skilled in special needs to support her classroom studies. This was later found not working so on our intervention Khukumoni now takes Chumki twice a week to local Blind School “Andha Alok Bidyalay”, Kalyani for supplementing Chumki’s Braille and Maths skills.

3.      SVH regularly supplies her with school text books in Braille and audio books in MP3 player.

4.      Also doors of SVH are always open to Chumki and her parents for any counselling or sharing of problems that they consider a priority and SVH respects their privacy. The following photos were taken during a home visit at Chumki's residence on 17 April 2016.

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