Mareena Damien’s life took an unexpected turn when she lost her vision due to a medicine allergy while in class 5.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Mareena Damien’s life took an unexpected turn when she lost her vision due to a medicine allergy while in class 5. However, she bounced back and learned to take life head on. 
“I lost my sight at age 10 when I was too young to understand what I was losing. After a few years, I realised the value of education and decided not to give up on my studies,” says Mareena, who is the first Indian student to write the tenth equivalent exam of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) using her computer without the help of a scribe.

“Due to a medicine allergy, I lost my vision completely and I had to drop out of school. My health condition was critical and my family’s focus was on my recovery. My father, who is a fisherman,  had to give up his job in West Asia to take care of me. Though doctors are hopeful that someday I will regain my vision, I am not ready to wait longer,” says 25-year-old Mareena from Kadakkavoor in Anchuthengu.
 

I had to undergo several treatments for most of my life. It was my eye doctor who referred me to a rehabilitation centre. There, I started taking computer lessons. Though I wanted to learn, I was unable to attend regular school. Finding a tutor trained in teaching visually impaired students was a struggle. But two years back, I found a tutor and my life changed for good,” says Mareena, who has a passion for writing short stories.

“I have written three stories and got them published in Pratilipi — an online self-publishing and audiobook portal. I want to write more stories and pursue my studies. I want to study BA Literature,” she says. Mareena says her community needs more trained teachers ready to volunteer to help them pursue higher studies. Ram Kamal, the managing trustee of Chakshumathi Assistive Technology Centre — the  NGO which helped Mareena with her studies — said the state should adopt assistive technologies to train visually impaired students. 
The current education system is not helping the community. Though the government has introduced computers in blind schools, the students are not getting trained properly to make them employable. Schooling should become more inclusive and it’s high time the state abolishes special schools and lets these students learn with other students,” said Ram.
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2022/apr/22/no-mountain-high-enough-for-this-visually-impaired-kerala-girl-2444856.html