| Riya, Chevayoor, Kozhikode |
Riya, the topper in B.Sc Computer Science at Devagiri College, Kozhikode literally stands on top of the computer. For she was born without hands and operates the keyboard and mouse with the digits of her legs.
Eldest of the three girls born to their parents, Riya was transfixed by the written words seen in the slates of her sisters. Her stubborn insistence on learning the alphabet caused her grief-stricken father to buy her a slate. With the pencil stuck in the digits of her legs, she tried to master the first letter of the alphabet. Many times the pencil broke and the toes ached, but that did not deter her.
When her parents saw that she could write with her legs, they put her in the school at the age of 8. She did not disappoint her teachers or parents.
In 10th standard, she learned the lessons by the light of the kerosene lamp at home. When her sisters had surrendered to sleep, she was literally burning the midnight oil after washing her face to avoid sleep.
Such effort did not go in vain. She wrote the SSLC exams with her toes and scored 525 out of 600. Study upto SSLC was the limit of her and her parents’ dreams. But hearing about her academic achievement good Samaritans came forward with monitory support.
Soon learning became a passion for her. After scoring first class in Plus Two, she joined Devagiri for B.Sc Computer Science. Having successfully passed the course she is on the look out for a job. She feels that expecting the parents to support her now would be unfair.
If the job affords enough spare time, she dreams of pursuing M.C.A also.
Courtesy:
Vijeesh Gopinath (text), Badusha (photo), Vanitha, June 15-30, 2010
Contributed by: Administrator
