Het verhaal van Ratna

Storytelling van 21 maart 2016

Van partnerorganisatie TLMI-Bangladesh kregen wij het volgende verhaal van Ratna. Met hulp van TLMI-Bangladesh heeft Ratna meegedaan aan het Community Based Rehabilitation Project (CBRP) en werd ze lid van een Self Help Group. Voor onder andere haar Self Help Group gaat het trainingscentrum gebouwd worden.

Ratna (15 years) lost her left leg above knee at road accident when she was studying at class nine. She was born a poor family and living with her mother. She was the youngest sister among her brother and sisters. Her father left them and lives another place with her stepmother. Her two brothers and sister are living separately after their marriage. When she was admitted in hospital her father, brothers didn't come forward to help her. Her mother managed her treatment costs by begging.

However she stopped going to school and became helpless. Her mother lost everything for her treatment. Ratna always would cry silently, she spent most of time lying down in bed or seating, she wouldn't wish to face with others. She said, she feel bad when she can't play with her friends, didn't go outside and school with them and couldn't do anything like a normal person does.

In the beginning of 2015 her mother became a member of CBRP's self-help group. Her mother discussed about her daughter's miserable condition with group leaders. According to the recommendation of group leaders the CBRP staff provided her an above knee prosthesis. She says that I became very excited for getting it, it really works out and I have begun living a normal life.

The CBRP staff helped her to walk for a while with the prosthetic limb on as she had not walked for many days. She again returned to school, she says her school teachers and students became very happy for her returns. She informed that she had participated to picnic, but previously she couldn't join with her friends.
Her mother worked towards establishing a number of income-generating activities over self-help group. Her mother received loan from group and bought some goats, a cow and some hens. Recently Ratna became a familiar girl in community through group and association. Group also helped her to familiar with a Bangladesh government's cultural minister. The minister provided her a recommendation latter for disability allowance. Recently the deputy director of social services included her for disability allowances.

Now Ratna became a role-model for many people with disabilities in her village. According to her statement she says “I am not afraid of my disability''. Disability is not terrible for me now. I feel always stronger at any time and believe that I can overcome any difficulty. She also says that CBRP group influences her to think positively and increased her self-confidence. She thinks final achievement strongly depends on the mindset of the person with disability and his/her willingness to break the shackles.

Ratna is very pleased of CBRP's great support. She expressed her opinion in future she wanted to work people affected by disability. She deserves to look forward for better future.