A resident of Kota in Rajasthan, Pawan Mahawar became visually impaired when he was only four years old. Although he comes from a reasonably well-to-do family, no one ever guided Pawan on how to pursue his life or education after blindness. He simply sat at home, being taken care of by his parents and sibling.
The continuous feeling of boredom and worthlessness pushed Pawan to start a grocery shop as he turned 13. He was successfully running the shop for four years but he wasn’t happy. Like other boys his age, he desired to be educated. He saw his friends go to school and learn new things every day. He felt deprived of this normalcy due to his blindness.
One day, listening to a mobile audio service called Hamari Vaani, Pawan heard a message from Eyeway which talked about living life with blindness. His desires rekindled and he called our toll-free helpline with a flurry of questions.
Pawan was keen on going to school but he was already 17 years of age. Eyeway advised him to appear for Class X through an open board following which he could enter mainstream education. He immediately enrolled and was guided how to study with help from organizations that provide accessible study material.
Having cleared Class X exams, Pawan was admitted to a regular school and he is currently pursuing his last year of schooling. During this time, he has been in constant touch with our counselors who have helped him with course material, assistive devices, scribes to help him write his exams etc. Eyeway also put him in touch with another visually impaired person who is an old Eyeway associate, to offer him local guidance in Rajasthan.
Today Pawan feels he is geared up to take on the world just like his sighted friends.