Shodhan Prasad
Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Mar 21: Kannadigas in Dubai organized a ceremony to honour visually challenged Bangalorean girl Ashwini Angadi, when she was in Dubai recently to attend Global Education Skills Forum seminar held at JW Marriot in Dubai. Ashwini was the winner of 'Youth Courage Award' by the United Nations in 2013.
The programme started with a prayer song by Sarala Raghu Prasad followed by welcome speech by Shodhan Prasad of Nama Tuluveru who welcomed Ashwini Angadi and all the prominent Kannadiga guests.
Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha president, Sarvotham Shetty and Radio Spice managing director Herman Lewis lauded Ashwini's achievements and interacted with her during their speeches. Other guests who expressed their views on the event were Murugesh Gajere, of Basawa Samithi, Aruna Muthugadur of Kannada Koota and Manohar Thonse of Abu Dhabi Billawara Balaga. They lauded and expressed their happiness and pride over the fact that Ashwini being a Kannadiga girl had won a prestigious award from the United Nations.
Ashwini was honored with shawl, bouquet, fruits, memento and 'Sanmana Patra' in remembrance of her Dubai visit. Along with organizers Deepak Somashekar of Overseas Kannada Movies and producer Shodhan Prasad of 'Nirel', the other guests were president of Kannadigaru UAE Sadan Das, Uma Vidyadhar and Mallikarjuna Gowda and heads of several other associations including Sarvotham Shetty, Manohar Thonse, Satish Venkataramana, Ramachandra Hegde, Herman Lewis, Praveen Shetty and others. Usha Deepak Somashekar rendered a brief introduction of Ashwini to the audience and also read the citation to the audience.
After receiving the honour Ashwini Angadi expressed her happiness on being with overseas Kannadigas for the first time in her life. From the sound of the applause she even was able to identify the exact number of audience assembled during the programme.
She was happy to hear the audience speaking in Kannada that too outside Karnataka and urged the audience to teach their children Kannada which she said was very important. She spoke about her challenging beginning and the difficulties she had faced in her initial career. She said that she took all these difficulties as a challenge and converted them into opportunities which made her happy despite her blindness. She thanked her critics and said that because of their criticism, she could take up challenges and reach greater heights. She explained her success and hard work in helping differently-abled people throughout the country through the NGO Leonardo Cheshire Disability Organization and promised to contribute more towards society. She said she wants to be an inspiration to the special challenged people by making them self-reliant like herself and also mentioned about opening a new school for differently-abled children to prepare them as doctors and engineers. She shared some of the lighter moments of her visit to Europe on invitation.
Ashwini was among the 850 eminent people from around the world of policy, business, academia, development and finance who came together to consider new ways of tackling education crisis. Delegations from 59 countries ranging from the United States and United Kingdom to Mongolia, Serbia and Montenegro, and even Myanmar participated in the event. Among them were 7 former Heads of States and Prime Ministers, 32 education ministers, 13 chairmen of large companies, 45 CEOs, and many educators. Ashwini in the conference spoke on the topic 'Education for girls with disabilities'.
Ashwini was honored with 'Youth Courage Award' for Education by United Nations on 'Malala Day' and was one of the seven girls awarded from all over the world and may be the only Kannadiga girl to be honoured by UN. Born in a poor rural family of Karnataka Ashwini is completely visual impaired in both the eyes. She was discriminated everywhere during her younger days. She did her 10 years of schooling in special schools, then completed her pre-university from NMKRV college where she was a rank holder. She even secured a rank in BA. She was offered a job in an IT firm but she declined it to work for the NGO Leonardo Cheshire Disability Centre where she is happy to assist differently-abled children in their education. In the award ceremony, Malala declared that the day should be called 'Ashwini Day' instead of 'Malala Day'.
Her personal struggle and achievement will be a great encouragement to all specially for the physically challenged children of India and world as a whole. So far no government organization has come forward to support her in her great mission. She says obtaining education is only 50 percent of the life but helping and giving to society will make one's life complete.
Vote of thanks was beautifully presented by Mallikarjuna Gowda who also anchored the programme in his own imitable style.
Sumptuous vegetarian dinner was arranged in honour of Ashwini Angadi and the programme concluded with lots of appreciation from the audience who were spellbound hearing about Ashwini's great works. The audience came forward wholeheartedly to support Ashwini and poured in donations for her new school construction.
Those who wish to contribute can send funds directly to her bank account which may help her in her great initiative at this tender age for a noble cause:
Name: A. Ashwini
Bank: Axis Bank - Bangalore
Account: 914010008213504
Swift Code: AXISINBB138