The will to win
From the streets to the college classroom, the path of Kaiser's life is
lit
by her enthusiasm to excel.
Photo: R. Ragu
Kaiser
As Kaiser walks through the campus of Ethiraj College for Women,
Chennai,
she is overcome by a myriad of emotions. The campus is buzzing with
activity
as
the academic year has just started. She walks from her hostel to
classroom
brimming with confidence and chatting with her friends all the while.
Not
until
she takes the help of a friend to climb a staircase or opens her Braille
textbook does one realise that she is visually-challenged. Fifteen years
ago,
Kaiser would not have imagined that she would step into one of the
famous
campuses on the road that was a virtual home for her and her mother. Her
transformation
from being a destitute to an undergraduate student was made possible by
two
institutions in the city - The Banyan and the Ethiraj College for Women.
Kaiser's extraordinary story of transition began in 1997, when Porkodi
of
The Banyan and its student volunteers rescued Kaiser and her mother from
the
bus
stop near Ethiraj College. "Kaiser was blind and her mother was mentally
ill. A few months later, we sent her to Little Flower Convent. When she
was
in
Class VII, a surgery was done and after that she can see light and dark.
She
continues to be partially blind and uses Braille books," says Ms.
Porkodi.
"Kaiser is hardworking, focused and sincere. She had a clear vision
about
her future," says Vandana Gopikumar, founder of The Banyan. Kaiser made
her
mentors
and well-wishers proud by securing 918 marks out of 1200 in Class XII.
"Even
though Kaiser applied to various colleges in the city, it was Ethiraj
College
that invited her for admission, and encouraged her to opt for history,"
says
Ms. Gopikumar. In the classroom she attentively listens to lectures and
reads
Braille textbooks.
"Our college, especially the history department, is well-equipped to
handle
and support visually-challenged students as we admit such candidates
every
year,"
says M. Thavamani, college principal. "Some of Kaiser's service-minded
classmates will assist her and also she can use the book-reading
software
available
in the library."
Kaiser was keen on doing psychology and later dedicating herself to
social
work. But as the subject of psychology requires field work which may not
be
practically
possible for her to do, she opted for history. "I am happy to have taken
up
B.A. History. I now plan to study for the IAS examination. It is my
dream
and
I am willing to work very hard to realise my dream," says Kaiser.
"With her dedication and keen mind, I am sure she will realise her dream
one
day," says Ms. Gopikumar. Vision is not just a matter of physical
ability.
As the Kaiser story signifies, it is about determination too.
The source taken from
The Hindu, Education plus August 2, 2010.
------
CHITRADEEPA A.
______
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The harder the conflicts, the more glorious the triumph - Thomas Paine.
True friendship consists not inn multitude of friends, but in their
worth
and value - Ben Jonson.
######
Adieu.
Saravanan.R
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