A life of true grit

It is challenging for a woman in India to surmount the social and cultural perils in this country and if you are disabled things get even worse.  The opportunities fade away and the doors shut on you harder. But Pavitra from Sindagi city in Karnataka proves that it could be different. She happens to be quite a fighter.

23-year-old Pavitra lost her eyesight due to jaundice when she was 4 years old. Her parents pursued doctors for the next 4 years trying to recover her vision but to no avail. They became extremely protective of her since then. They refused to send her anywhere alone far from their home. Thus, she developed a lack of confidence in her personality given her circumstances.

But otherwise, she has done well in life. Born into a poor family background, with her father a daily wager as the only earning member and as the elder sister to three younger brothers, the support she has got and the challenges she has overcome are inspirational.

Pavitra was sent to the nearby government school after few years of futile treatment. She studied braille simultaneously, accessed all her syllabus books in Braille and successfully completed 12th and now she is doing her under graduation through distance learning. Also, she is learning computer from Bartimaeus Resource Centre for the Blind, Bangalore. But the financial challenges have crept back into her life. Whenever she was faced with a roadblock, she has dealt with it strongly. This time also she found a solution and it was Eyeway.

She contacted Eyeway seeking support to push ahead that will equip her financially to tackle her challenges and help pursue her education. Eyeway was impressed by Pavitra’s determination to succeed. Our counselor provided a viable solution in Ambubai Residential School for Blind Girls, Gulbarga which would offer support for her higher education and also provide employment opportunity when she finishes her studies. And to begin with, it will be a computer-based job for which she is already taking training.

Such determination is remarkable, to remain undaunted in the face of challenges to her gender, disability, and poverty, Pavitra is a true inspiration to several visually impaired women out there.