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Farida Bedwei is proof of what a child with disabilities can achieve through the untiring efforts put in by parents or caregivers.
Farida Bedwei is proof of what a child with disabilities can achieve when untiring efforts are put in by parents and caregivers.
As I watched an interview with the smart and beautiful Farida N. Bedwei on CNN’s ‘African Voices,’ I was blown away!
Farida’s is a tale of grit and determination – she was detected with cerebral palsy at a very young age, yet she did not let disability stop her from reaching for the stars. Farida is now the Co-founder and CTO of a software company called Logiciel (Ghana). Logiciel has recently been featured as one of the top ten technology companies in Ghana. Once we listen to Farida’s story, we realise that there is no mountain too high and no ocean too deep.
Farida’s incredible journey is a testimony to what a child with disabilities can achieve through the untiring efforts put in by parents or caregivers. Around the time Farida turned 1, it was confirmed that she had cerebral palsy. Though detection of any kind of disability in one’s child can come as a tremendous blow for parents, Farida’s mother Lydia Bedwei did not let that intimidate her. This dedicated mother set about trying to find ways to help Farida reach her maximum potential despite the diagnosis.
Lydia home-schooled Farida till she turned 12, since she realised that there were no proper schools for children with special needs in Dominica where Farida’s father had been posted for work. Farida also underwent speech therapy classes to help her out of her speech impairment and physiotherapy to help with her motor skills.
Farida was put in a regular school in Ghana at the age of 12, mainly to improve her social skills, but she surprised everybody by performing brilliantly in academics as well. She developed a love for computers at an early age and went on to get a diploma in computer engineering. She also worked for some of the best software companies in Ghana. While working she managed to get a second diploma in e-technology and later got a degree in Computer Science from the University of Hertfordshire in England.
Farida has written a book, Definition of a Miracle, which though not autobiographical, is about a girl called Zaara and how she deals with cerebral palsy.
Watch this inspiring video to see why we all need to let nothing limit us or stop us from realising our dreams!
Image via CNN.
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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