Oh please, not sympathy but support

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

She dreams of stars. When she grows up she wants to be in astronomer. Stars have fascinated her. To us she has performed a miracle yet to her simple little mind it is just following in her dreams. With her gentle rays of inspiration Rashmi has touched and warmed hundreds of hearts, both young and old.

Rashmi Nimesha Gunawardane likes the colour white best and loves reading and these days she is reading T.B. Ilangarathne's classic Amba Yaluwo.

She is enthusiastic of all the subjects she learns. "Without fail, I did all the work at school and completed the exercises the teacher asked us to do. With Amma's and Appachchi's help I study at home but not much," Rashmi said. She may be understanding the difficulty her parents go through to bring success to her and her sister, Dilmi Ramesha. Even if she does not, as the world is too complicated for a tender ten year old to understand, Rashmi has done her parents proud. Doesn't her success make you and I reflect upon and see how many chances we have let go in our lives thinking them impossible? She plays a couple of tunes on the electric organ and to Rashmi this is not much, she needs to learn more.

Obviously the entire country is proud, yet the proudest would be her parents, Sarath Gunawardane an Agriculture teacher and Dhammika Podimenike a Music teacher. They showed the world the silver ray in the cloud they once thought was gloomy. Rashmi was born without arms and with one leg. Today she stands up and runs as much as she can with the help of her artificial leg. "She became bright and gleaming after we got her the artificial leg.

At the beginning she started running with her friends forgetting that she is on an artificial leg. Sometimes she fell but never gave up," said Sarath Gunawardane, Rashmi's father.

"She attended one extra class for a year and even that was only for one and a half hours per week. Most of the work she did at home with us," Gunawardane said explaining that they tried not to put too much pressure on her though they knew it is through education that she will show her success. "She learns effortlessly. As it was difficult for her to run around and play at home, our games are writing poetry, songs, playing music, singing and doing a number of creative works. My wife taught her to play the organ. We managed to find time as a family and give support to the children to be creative in their own way," Gunawardane said.

Today the Gunawardanes are busy giving voice cuts and points of view to the media, making it a strenuous week for them. Gunawardane speaks to one journalist while Podimenike has to answer another. It sounds chaotic yet the lessons they learnt could be a turning point in another's life and no one knows whose that would be.

"If we tried to push her to the competition she would have hesitated to go to school and would never show results," her father said. He continued to explain, Rashmi was feeling low at the beginning but with the artificial leg she slowly and steadily grabbed control of her life. It gave her more opportunities to be with her friends at school.

The journey thus far was never a bed of roses for Rashmi's parents. After Rashmi was born her parents wept for several months not knowing how, a simple family like them, could make the child's future bright. "With time we consoled ourselves and started planning our new life," Gunawardane said. "I am grateful to the Unilever Sri Lanka Chairman Amal Cabraal, and his family for being with us and encouraging us to be positive. If not for them the story will be incomplete," he added with much warmth.

"On the day of the scholarship when I took her to the examination centre all the parents looked at us in shock and dismay. I felt Rashmi too was shocked to see the attention she received and answered wrong some of the questions she knew the answers to like the back of her hand," Gunawardane explained.

Rashmi is the only student to pass the Year Five Scholarship in her school, Deloluwa Junior School in Dehiowita, Kegalle, scoring 153 marks. Solely with talent and not on sympathy Rashmi opened the door to a better future.

"We never wanted to admit her to a popular or a national school. We looked for a school that would be like a family. The school atmosphere helped her to succeed," Gunawardane added.

This little known school has been a heaven for Rashmi, very supportive and encouraging classmates and teachers with a never-give up attitude. "Rashmi brought out the good thoughts of the children of her class," said Saman Wijewardane, Deloluwa Junior School Principal. "I assumed duties a few months back and was amazed at the inspiration Rashmi gave the entire school. She was always with her class engaging in activities to the best of her abilities. I saw that it was her classmates that would remove the shoe and sock for Rashmi as she writes with her toes.

There are such wonderful things happening between these friends," the principal said. Because of the way Rashmi conducted herself others barely felt any difference.

It was Rashmi's Year 1 and 2 teacher, S.P. Rathnawathi who faced the biggest challenge. Yet, since the day Rashmi was admitted to the school Rathnawathi teacher happily took up the challenge of bringing the child to the surroundings outside her home.

It is not unusual for children to cry and scream at the top of their voices and bring hell on earth for the teacher on the first day they are left at school by the parents. And it does take a lot of effort and time for the primary teacher to inculcate the children into the school environment. Rathnawathi teacher's experience is a special chapter in the history of Sri Lankan education. With her 22 years experience in the field she managed to be creative to train Rashmi in school work. "There were exercises which Rashmi found difficult and in those I did slight changes to make them comfortable for her.

She always tried her best to do school work on her own and rarely depended on others unless in an exceptional case," Rathnawathi said. "I do not know how I did it. But I managed to face each moment as it came," she explained.

In a country where education for children with special needs is still not a favourite among many teachers Rathnawathi's efforts are precious.

Today Rashmi is a star solely by her talent. She gets admiration and not sympathy.

This ten year old's heart stands out as the mightiest. She reminds us of Nick Vujicic - the world famous inspiring man born without limbs. Rashmi will be too young to understand the greatness of his courage but surely one day she will learn. Family and social support is compulsory yet above everything she needs to be courageous. It will surely carry her beyond boundaries.

"It is not sympathy that such kids need," Rashmi's father said. "They need only the support and especially if society stops looking at them in shock and sympathy these children will grow as valuable resource persons." Gunawardane added.