Pursuit of education & career

As the years went by, my efforts and will to study increased considerably, and I finally got my first custom-built tricycle in 2006, after which I managed to get myself enrolled in a special school called “Gujarati Samaj Educational Trust for the Handicapped.” It was during this time that not only did I have a social circle, but I also discovered that I wanted to be a special educator and help shape the careers of people with special needs. Honestly, there’s nothing more satisfying in life than being in a profession that allows you to motivate someone via your own life experiences.

In the year 2009, I enrolled myself at the “National Institute of Open Schooling” (NIOS), where I completed my secondary and higher secondary education. I then pursued a bachelor’s degree in Arts through the “Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).”

The challenges I faced during my pursuit

Throughout my secondary and senior secondary school years, I encountered many obstacles, which were caused not only by my physical disability but also by the fact that I had lost out on a typical school experience during the early years of life.

For example, I was unable to find a home tutor who was familiar with the NIOS syllabus, particularly in subjects like psychology and business studies.  Going to a private institution was also not an option at the time because I had to frequently change my diapers. This left me with no other choice than to study on my own.

Because the exam centre allotted to me was far away from where I lived, we had to hire a private car. This was expensive as we had to pay approximately Rs.2000 each time we travelled. Furthermore, an exam supervisor once tried to persuade me and my mother, who accompanied me every time I went to answer my exam, to pay a bribe in exchange for passing me. Of course, this was unacceptable to me as I intended to earn my qualification regardless of the rank or percentage.

The inability to cope with the syllabus, a lack of assistance, and several shortcomings led to a momentary decision to discontinue my studies. However, I found it hard to live with myself knowing that I had given up on my dream of becoming a special educator. So, after a break of one year, I once again attempted and successfully cleared my secondary exams in 2014. Due to similar circumstances, it took me another 3 years to complete my senior secondary education.

My struggles were far from over, as when I went on to enrol myself for a Bachelor’s degree in Arts course, I was told that unless I opted for BTS (Bachelor in Tourism Science), I would mostly have to study on my own. Refusing to give up, I chose to self-study.

Trying to achieve financial independence

While continuing with my studies, I earned my allowance through several activities like working as a freelance in-house SEO, writing articles for an up-start website, and later, offering internet services to the people in my neighbourhood in return for a small fee. These services include payment of payment bills, mobile recharge, online money transfer, etc.