Stitching Towards a New Life- Phulrani Kinalekar
Preetu Nair
OLD GOA: Fulrani Kinalekar has one ambition. Nearing 18 and excellent with
embroidery, she wants to become a fashion designer and design a sari for her
favourite actress Preity Zinta. She emphasises that the sari designed by her
would have lots of hand embroidery. Sounds like the typical ambition of a
star struck giggly schoolgirl? But coming from Fulrani these words are
priceless, probably a small proof of her ambition and determination, which
has helped her overcome her disabilities and prove to the world that she is
a doer and achiever.
Fulrani's confidence comes from knowing what she wants to do and trying her
best. She has fought with her disability and her circumstances, wept often
but never stopped believing in her abilities. She struggled but learnt to
achieve rather than sit on the sidelines, watch and complain like many abled
children her age do.
No wonder, this girl born disabled into a poor family in Pernem, who spend
her childhood in her bed, with hardly any friends now has an offer from her
principal to become a teacher in the school. "My principal Sister Monica
Coelho has said that if I pass standard XII, then I will be recruited at the
pre-primary school level as a teacher. I will work under her guidance for
three years," said Fulrani. She will appear for the exams through the
National Institute of Open Schooling.
Her job would be to teach kids with different abilities the art she has
learnt in the school, in the last 12 years. She had come to the institute at
the age of 6 as a grumpy girl, completely dependent on others for her needs.
"She didn't know how to take care of herself, but today she is independent,"
said Sister Monica.
No wonder, for Fulrani, lovingly called Fulu, her school is her haven and
her principal her inspiration, who has encouraged independent, thought and
convinced her to believe in herself rather than be dismayed by the problems
in life. No wonder, she proudly states, "The person whom I love the most is
Sister Monica. She is very nice, just like a mother." (ENDS)
Photos of Fulrani can be found at:
http://goadourado.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/03/stitching-towards-a-new-life-phulrani-kinalekar-2.htm
Incidentally today, Preetu Nair and Peter de Souza are in New Delhi to
receive the UNDP-TAHA and HIV and Human Development Resource Network's
(HDRN) media award for 2006 for reporting on Trafficking and HIV. That
article can be read at:
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=374
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Goanet News Service
