Prutha Goa

On rare occasions you chance upon a personality who has the resilience and tenacity to make such a startling impact on you that you are forced to rethink your priorities and curb those pity parties you indulge in. Frederika Menezes is one such person. She amazes and stupefies you with her positivity in the face of what others would consider an incapacitating physical disability. Frederika has cerebral palsy, and remains in a wheelchair for the most part but her mind is razor sharp. Her parents, Angela and Jose are retired GPs and dote on Frederika. In some families this condition may have been deemed burdensome but it was not so for Frederika. She asserts she was not treated as a person with a disability as a child. She says, ‘I wasn't aware of what I could do or be so I just enjoyed the attention. To be honest, I was never treated different. Not really.’ Her alma mater is People’s High School, Panaji. She stresses the fact she attended regular school as there is also the School fo

Wendell Rodricks, the revolutionary Goan fashion designer. If Goa has a presence in the international fashion scene, it is due to this innovative fashion designer. But his claim to fame lies not in just his creative genius. This resident of Colvale, Goa, having made his mark at prestigious fashion events such as IGEDO in Germany (1995), Dubai Fashion Week (2001) Paris Pret-a-Porter salon (2007) and the world’s biggest organic fair BioFach in Nuremberg, Germany (2012), has shown abundantly his leanings towards philanthropy. His activism in support of social, environmental and cultural causes is well known. He has donated the proceeds of an entire collection to the Kasturba Gandhi Trust in the effort to promote khadi in Goa. He has also revived the weaving of kunbi saris and established the Eco Goa Room at Wendell Rodricks Design Space, which has garments with only natural dyes. Wendell Rodricks Photographed by Rafique Sayed All these endeavours have ushered in accolades galore, but am

Inclusivity has become the mantra for today, and individuals like Avelino de Sa and Frederika Menezes prove its significance by the heights they have achieved in spite of their disabilities. Avelino de Sa has already made a name for himself as the president of the Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG), constantly championing causes and programmes that will benefit the differently abled. Avelino was born with cerebral palsy but has surmounted his difficulty in walking by leading a relatively normal life. A Commerce graduate from Dempo College, Panaji, Avelino is also a certified investment and tax consultant with his own firm in Panaji. Under his presidency, DRAG has won the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award for the year 2004-05 for Exceptional Act of Social Courage, and the Goa State Award 2007 for the Best NGO for the Welfare of the Disabled in Goa. Much of the changes in terms of accessibility for the differently abled that one sees in Goa have been brought about through the effor

The differently abled now have a safe and comfortable mode of transport through a company called Ezy Mov ( www.ezymov.com ), India’s first transport company that caters especially to the differently abled and the elderly. The company, which is based in Mumbai, was established in 2015 thanks to co-founders Rrajesh Patil, Romeo Ravva and Bennet D'Cunha. Rrajesh Patil has been involved for over 15 years in taxi fleet and driver management, Romeo Ravva has a background in volunteering, event management, branding and communication, and Bennet D’Cunha comes from the healthcare consulting sphere. These three men have been instrumental in providing a means of exploring the world to the differently abled who were once banished to the seclusion of their homes because of the difficulty in obtaining a means of transport that would accommodate their disability. The company operates on the mission of providing the differently abled who have mobility concerns with the chance to ‘Travel with digni

It is extremely easy to extend sympathy and kind words to someone who is differently abled and believe one’s duty is done with regard to society. A certain amount of courage and motivation is required to be able to take up arms for those in need of support. In Goa, for years, a physical disability was looked upon as a punishment for iniquities and sins of ancestors. We may have moved long past that attitude but there is still apathy and lack of consideration many a times. The differently abled saw it fit to put their foot down and join forces against the dismissive treatment meted out to them. In October, 2003, DRAG or the Disability Rights Association of Goa came into being to ensure that the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, was applied necessarily. There was the need for resolving issues concerning the differently abled and so it was decided to bring under one banner all such persons and have them work towards a common goal. The NGO was founded by Victor Fernandes, Loretta Velho,

From its institution in 1997, with a total of eight students and one classroom, New Dawn Ashadeep School for special children has come a long way to include eleven classrooms, from primary care group to vocational classes, harbouring a hundred and seventeen students. It is, significantly, the only special school in Goa that has speech and occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Former headmistress Vinny Fernandes, who completed seventeen years at the school, enlightens us on its functioning and focus. ‘I have been here since the inception of the school, even before the actual building came up. I joined somewhere in February, 1997,’ she says. The school was the result of one man’s vision to provide easy access to scholastic amenities and practical training for special children. In the absence of such a school in the whole of Vasco, Vijay Chandran, who was employed with the customs office, decided to bring about a change in the situation. As a parent of a special child he had to travel t