
For a nineteen-year-old well-heeled German girl, there are umpteen options to spend her vacation after schooling. But what Franzisha Federolf did was something different. She packed her bags and flew all the way from Germany to Thiruvananthapuram, a place she had not even heard of ever before.
What makes her sojourn special is the reason for her visit. Franzisha is not here to stroll along the sun-bathed beaches or to savour the beauty of the backwaters. She is an active volunteer at the Centre for Rehabilitation for Disabled Children (Polio Home), Palayam. Hardly two months have passed since she came here, but already Franci ‘chechi’, as she is called by the inmates, is a popular figure at the Home. She is here as the selected volunteer of EMW (Evangelisches Missionswerk In Deutschland), an association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany.
‘’Even in Germany, I have been associated with disabled children for quite a long time. When I applied to EMW for being a volunteer abroad, I had actually intended to go to Africa. But I changed my decision once I got selected. I thought coming to India would help me acquire more experience,’’ she says.
Franzisha says that her parents have never objected to her wishes. ‘’My parents always take me, my younger sister and brother to other countries on holidays. Travelling has brought me so close to different people and the conditions in which they live. When I actually told my parents about going to India, they just asked when I will be returning. They have always been so supportive.’’
However, her first days at Polio Home were a tad hard. ‘’Language was the main barrier. Even though the children understood English, they found it hard to follow my accent. But all that is past; now we understand each other pretty well and share a nice relationship.’’
Franzisha is now busy learning some Malayalam from her own students and is appreciative of their patience. ‘’They teach me one Malayalam word per day. But your language is so knotty that I tend to forget the word I learnt just a day before. But I can of course say ‘I am hungry’ and ‘food is good’ in decent Malayalam,’’ she smatters in the little Malayalam she has picked up so far.
About her Malayali students, she is full of praise. ‘’These children always surprise me by their confidence. I have been with lot of disabled children in Germany. In spite of all the prodding they get, they still hold themselves back. But these guys are simply amazing, always willing to prove themselves. It feels great to be with them.’’
Franzisha will leave for Tamil Nadu in February on a similar mission. She wants to do a degree in Occupational Therapy when she returns to Germany. ‘’I really want to come back after the completion of my course. I know that I am going to miss my students badly once I return,’’ she says.
aswin@expressbuzz.com