“How does that matter! That is a fact! We are incomplete! You call us ‘divyang’ or specially abled or whatever you want.. but try and behave nicely.. that’s important! Good behaviour is what we are hungry for” says Radha Kumari when I asked her about why she keeps calling herself ‘disable’.
I met Radha during a marathon event for specially abled people held at CNLU, Patna. That’s when I came to know that she is the first specially abled woman from Bihar to join Zomato as a food delivery partner. She told me this with a million dollar smile as if she was one of the happiest souls on planet!
Though my face had quite a balanced emotion while hearing her story but I was super thrilled and curious from inside to understand what keeps her so full of life! How difficult her life would be? How does she manage to deliver food in apartments? What keeps her going!? Lots of thoughts started battling inside my brains! And there began our journey!
A journey with a woman who with her social contribution has independently uplifted more than 60 lives and has even represented Bihar in National Para Badminton 2024 held in Jamshedpur. She and her family has faced problems like social unacceptance and poverty but with her shear determination and will power, Radha broke these barriers to fly free!
We exchanged numbers and the very next day I was in Takya, Danapur, Patna where Radha lives with her mother and an elder brother who is now married! Her house is what they call “pakka makaan” (well bricked and cemented) most of which she has done with her own earned income. Radha welcomed us happily, gave us a whole tour of her house where I got to see her own styled kitchen and her beautiful room.
This short documentation is an outcome of the long amazing chat I had with her and her mother who is one of the strongest women I have witnessed till date.
I remember Radha told me that I was the first person to be able to cover her whole journey which is not less than a roller-coaster. I hope this turns out be an inspiration for all and as she says let’s try and become at least ten percent of what she is!
As per a 2023 report by WHO “While India is home to over 1.36 billion residents, over 2.2 percent of this population endures some form of severe mental or physical disability.”
So yeah we still have a long way to go! But thanks to people like Radha who are everyday trying to turn the journey into an inspirational one and are live examples for people who think life is a bucket full of problems. It’s not! You need to look into it with a BIG eye!