Prathamesh, a dynamic young man held a captivating session on Personality Development for our 7th and 8th Graders on 1/2/18 in the school auditorium. A life-changing event at the tender age of 15 when he lost his vision left him severely depressed. His parents, who are blind were able to fully understand this precarious situation and due to their personal life experiences, helped him to overcome depression. While they encouraged him to pursue his academic dream which is a degree in Law, his sister helped him to overcome self-doubt when faced with ridicule from friends and strangers.
Prathamesh shared his challenging life experiences with our students which gave them an insight on the difficulties faced by persons who are visually challenged. Tasks that are taken for granted by people who have a vision, like getting dressed or stepping out of the house to board a train were seen as daunting experiences when Prathamesh explained his daily life.
The ability to smile in the face of adversity was demonstrated in a profound manner when Prathamesh mentioned in a humorous way that while he was often credited with having a sixth sense, the truth lies in the fact that the lack of the fifth sense (eyesight) actually strengthened the need to depend on the other four senses more. He makes full use of his strengths rather than lament on his weakness. This statement made a deep impact on the audience.
Students were curious to know about the challenges he faced while studying. He attributed the contribution of the latest technology that has enabled software that helps the blind to access computers with the help of a screen reader and speech synthesizer. Mobile phones have an app called Jaws Apps, which helps in making communication easier.
The management takes every effort to nurture the minds of the young students at Amrita Vidyalayam and conducting such workshops helps them realize the mistakes that lies within each one and also motivate them to put their 100% in all endeavors. The workshop also helped them to realize what they were lacking when challenging life to its fullest in comparison to less privileged people.
