KURNOOL: Seventeen-year-old Pujari Anitha Bai was born without hands, but that didn’t stop her from flying high on wings of hope. She appeared in the Intermediate second-year exams recently by using her feet to write the paper. Even though rules permitted her to use the services of a writer, she chose to write the exam on her own.
Her sheer determination and unwavering self-confidence have made her conquer her physical disability.
Born to a family that hails from the tribal Sugali community in Kurnool, many assumed that fate has short-changed Anitha. Her family was under the impression that her education could get compromised as she would have to try very hard to build a life for herself.
However, beating all the odds, Anitha has turned her physical disability into one of her strengths, which many considered it to be her weakness. She conquered her disability with her ‘never give up’ spirit. She trained herself to learn writing with the help of her legs.
Being the eldest one among her six other siblings, Anitha is no less than an inspiration not just for them but in fact, for many people who are struggling with their disabilities.
Speaking about her academics, the 17-year-old aspires has left no stone unturned to remain at the top of her game. Known for her outstanding academic performance, Anitha aspires to become a government officer in the near future.
She completed her elementary education at Naraniki Primary Government School and secondary education from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Aluru and secured 9.0 GPA in her 10th exams.
She honed her skills to write with her legs with ease and accuracy like students who write with their hands. Her perseverance despite innumerable obstacles has helped her write with her feet with barely any hurdle.
Anitha Bai’s story is a reminder that when an individual gets knocked down by adversities, what matters is how fast one gets up, identifies one’s strength and keeps going. Sharing her struggles with TNIE, Anitha Bai urged donors and good samaritans to come forward and support her financially so that she could achieve her dreams and become a government officer in the near future.