The People Who Made A Difference

Dear friends

Its not necessary to be rich or beautiful or a great personality to do something good. I would like to introduce you to a personality, who in her small way has made a lot of difference. She lives in a very remote village of Andhra Pradesh

Name :- K. Vijayalaxmi

Age :- 33 yrs

Profession :- Social Mobilizer

The day for Vijaya starts very early, whether its a weekday or a weekend, it doesn’t make any difference.  She takes the 6 o’clock bus to reach her destination - Budharam before the day begins for the farmers and the labourers of the land, to meet her wards. As one parent put it “ A fear passes within my heart when I see Vijaya. She is one force to reckon with, there is not an obstacle that can hinder a child to be in class. She really tackles any problem head on even it is a big officer. She ensures that each and every child are present in school before the school bell goes off. Its not very easy.” When we ask her, how she manages her day, shuttling so early, “She smiles and says, they are children, they do not know the importance of education and the parents also doesn't know the importance of educating their girl child. But I know and that is what matters. I am glad, I have the time for them, I do not want any drop outs, especially girls.”

Vijaya is an Intermediate student, an orphaned handicap. She is living with her married brother. Her disability hinders her to eat any solid food properly. It blocks her throat and so she has only liquid food and that too takes an hour for a glass of water to pass her throat. She is always in pain. So she has to have a regular medication through intravenous to get her essential nutrients into her body, which is a bit costly. But seeing her vigour and single-mindedness, we would surely doubt, whether we are talking about the same person. There are days, when she totally foregoes food and be with the kids.

She is a role model for the children. These children are testimony to her dedication and energy she invests in them on a daily basis. The children, whom she helps are in the literal sense poor, there are orphans in them, sick and generally malnourished students are the key words of their existence. With singlehanded persistence and motivation, Vijaya was able to bring them all under the umbrella of Girl Child Education of Room to Read. But the key factor to succeed in any venture, whatever the project and  no matter how hard you work, there should be  continuity and that is where, Vijaya proved her mettle. Her resilience is one thing, which should be commended.

One of such instance that really made a difference in many a lives is when a student fell unconscious in school. Vijaya informed her Social Manager regarding her predicament and with her help, the girl was taken to the closest Government Municipal Hospital and was given a thorough check up and there the girl was diagnosed, as an anaemic cardiac patient, who should be treated immediately or else she would die. Since the Social Manager was there, the decision was made immediately - help the child get proper treatment and necessary medication.  A small stipend was allotted by the implementing agency to cope with her medical expense. Along with that, Vijaya ensured that (the student) gets nutritive foods (to reduce anaemia)  on a regular basis, for that she paid from her own pocket. It was not an easy path, but her persistence paid. The girl recuperated and returned to school, hale and hearty and regular too. A child was saved from her own circumstance only by persistence. This incident, is just a single hay out of a haystack in her life.

This shows that life can be unpredictable, circumstances can be unfavourable, resources can be non existent, but if there is a will, then there is a way, that is what Vijaya’s life proves and that is what many a heart learnt and they salute her and all the hearts that she has crossed thank her for her unconditional care and selfless dedication, which passes by once in a lifetime.

As the sun sets, Vijaya  is in the bus back home. If we ask her, “How do you feel after a hectic day?”

She would shrug and say, “I have not done anything more than the other people do.” And walks off hurriedly to her humble abode.

Words are not sufficient to explain Vijaya. But still we can conclude, Vijayalaxmi is simply Vijaya at the end of the day.

So guys!! just spare some time or with whatever you have more, for someone in need, then your life would be worthwhile.

See You.

Take care.

Meena