Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Greetings to you all from the world of Physically Challenged Women.
I am Amuthashanthy from Madurai, Tamilnadu, challenged woman, born with one hand, representing Thiyagam Women Trust. ‘Facing the Challenge’ has become the way of my life from my birth. Of course, it added more strength and faith in my life.
With all humility I begin my address with our Thiyagam Message:
“The only handicap is to depend on others. For physically challenged we don’t want any compassion or consolation. We want opportunity to express our talents and earn our livelihood. If the opportunity is given we will prove our ability.”
When I was born as a girl baby with one hand, my mother Jeyamani was burst out with a great agony in deep anguish. The relatives advised my mother, ‘your family is not in good condition now. You can better leave the child in the Hospital and through them join the baby in an orphanage.’
ONLY HANDICAP IS TO DEPEND ON OTHERS:
I could not crawl in my childhood. The troubles I had undergone can never be expressed through words but can well be felt in one’s heart as a girl child. I wanted to be self-reliant from my childhood and never liked to be looked after by each and every family member. I had joined in Avvai Ashram in Tirunelveli Dist. managed by
Gandhigram Trust at the age of 11 for VIth std., Avvai Ashram is a residential hostel for destitute girls which trained and moulded my personality with life skills. I also learnt there tailoring, candle making, camphor making etc. As willed by the providence I was selected for the State Award in Essay Competition when I was studying VIIth Std from the then Chief Minister of Tamilnadu. This gave me lot of confidence and motivated me to go forward. I am now full of gratitude for my teachers and my warden Ms Palaniammal for their motherly care. I realized the great lesson – ‘Not for you, be ready to be of service to so many like you….’ and which has become my life’s mission. Education has become a passion for me. This passion led me to complete Post Graduation and join in a decent job though I had to undergo lot of hindrances from my family circle.
The pain I had undergone due to physical disability and family circumstances motivated me to dedicate my life to the welfare of my numerous challenged sisters. I was eager that they should not face the struggles and pain I faced in my life. I used feel, ‘the only handicap is to depend on others. For physically challenged we don’t want any compassion or consolation. We want opportunity to express our talents, earn our livelihood and join the mainstream of society. If the opportunity is given we will prove our ability and it has been proved time and again. The challenged sisters from rural base endowed with good talents couldn’t get good opportunity is my concern.’
COMFORT TO CHALLENGED WOMEN:

When I was working in the Seminary, after my working hours I used to spend my time to meet the various needs of Physically Challenged Women (PCW). I used to visit remote villages and identify challenged women in distress who knows no hold for their future. The conditions of many of these girls are very pathetic. Their parents wouldn’t permit them to go outside from home. Due to acute poverty they don’t give them proper education. I talk to them lovingly giving courage and hope. I had to pacify and soothe their hearts with my loving words of solace and concern. I used wonder these challenged women immediately get such energy on seeing me and eagerly share their woes. They instantly feel some kind of oneness and pour their hearts. My deep feeling for their problems and my deep concern for their welfare draws them.
During weak ends I used to go to their houses and meet them to understand their situation of discomfort. Out of hundred women at least 10 women feel like ending their life. I bring them to training centre and show them how challenged women affected with more disability are leading a respectable life by earning their own livelihood. Putting them in a positive environment slowly I change their outlook by feeding them with the soothing words of self-confidence. Its interesting revelation to note that person like me with same category address them positively, they listen more intently. I also see situation vacant in News Papers and visit small industries and private companies to identify vacancies. It would help me to arrange for the placement of deserving challenged women to suitable position.’
My humble service extends to Visually Challenged and deaf and dumb women also.
There is no time to say ‘no’ to my challenged sisters. I get numerous letters from my challenged sisters seeking solace and comfort. I answer every one of them giving words of courage and confidence. In Thiyagam, our organization provides a sense of belonging to them.
PIERCING THE HEART – DEEP FEELING:
As I began to interact with PCW I felt deeply concerned and my heart was pierced as it were. I share some of the problems faced by PCW. It may look negative but I feel it’s my duty to present before this august gathering all the facts.
1. PCW used to go to Employment office. The staff used to ask them to go and take
Xerox copy. The PCW may be a person with just one leg. The staff treats this PCW like any other normal person ask them to go and take photo copy without realizing how much hardship it would cause to PCW. PCW may have to cross the roads, wait in the hot sun or traffic to take a Xerox.
2. Many of PCW wouldn’t take water or food when they go out just to avoid the nature calls.
3. While traveling in train, most of us may not realize the inconvenience of challenged persons in using toilets with crutches, disability shoes, artificial leg and crawling disability.
4. Rural based PCW condition is still more deplorable. They are not permitted to go to schools because of non-availability of proper transport.

5. In most cases of PCW they lack of emotional integrity to withstand the problems of day to day life. When asked to one PCW, what is your goal? She simply replied, livelihood itself is a big question before me – how can I set another goal for me to achieve. One could guess from this how much struggle is needed to earn the single livelihood.
6. There is no relaxation or friendly approach in cases like sanction of loan for disabled in Banks and employment opportunities in Govt.
7. The most of the grants announced by Govt. have not been come into effect even after lot of petitions, appeals, fasts, struggles etc. and Non-implementation of the
Persons with Disability Act of 1995 has left the physically challenged people high and dry.
8. The world of physically challenged is not expecting any big thing from the society – just a word of encouragement, a pleasing smile and a kind look – this would mean a lot to us.
IT’S ALWAYS POSSIBLE:
Many a time I was asked what is that inspired me to take such a decision to plunge in the service of Physically Challenged Women (PCW)? I used to say, “For last 8 years I got the blessed opportunity to associate closely with the world of PCW. The constant interaction with PCW in rural areas influenced me – I should act. This constant fellowship and oneness with their emotions has given me an understanding and clarity to the plight of PCW.
The needs are many. Some of them want to complete their education. Some are seeking an employment. Some want security, a sense of belonging. Some wants wheel chair, crutches, tricycle etc. Ultimately they all expect a decent livelihood without depending on any one. Most of them are from very poor economic back ground struggling to maintain their livelihood.”
“I have made a detailed research into the problems of PCW and subsequent personal visits to remote villages presented me clear action plan seeking permanent solution to their problems. It is great pity to note that many of them are not even aware of the details of grants provided by Government for their development. The deplorable condition is that even after many announcements of grants for the development of physically challenged, not even 1% reaches the ground level. The demonstrations, fasts are done by physically challenged in various districts is only to draw the attention of Higher Authorities to implement the statutes and grants already announced by the
Government.”
“Based on the above assessment and being a PCW myself by birth I am convinced that it is my prime duty to bring sunshine to the numerous lives and keenly felt the inner call to dedicate my life for the cause of rural based PCW. Here I would like to state, only a PCW knows the real situation of another PCW.”

“No more weeping, no more blaming of any one – up and doing – it is time to arise and awake and stop not till the goal of economic independence of PCW achieved. I strongly believe that mere economic independence without having faith in values of life will never result in contented life. All my efforts will go along with infusing positive approach in PCW by following cardinal values of life.”
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:
When I meet PCW after hearing all their woes I gently ask them to count their blessings. I make a note of all the positive points. No doubt. Physically challenged are facing numerous problems. What about our blessings? I constantly highlight this point to PCW. “When we obtain the help and love from society, we feel, it is our duty to pay forward it to society at large. We can afford to forget anything but not our attitude of gratitude to even a smallest of help we received. We receive love, kindness, care and concern from the society. It is our foremost duty to pay it forward to our sisters who are in similar situation. No one is a stranger in this small world.” Each of the physically challenged sisters of our Centre is inspired to guide and help 10 challenged sisters in their villages.
I have resigned my bread-winning job and decided to work full time to make my dream a reality from 2nd October 2005 and founded Thiyagam Women Trust. Thiyagam is now running a Tailoring Unit in Madurai, Tamilnadu with Fifteen disabled women providing job training and also earning capacity. The challenged women hailing from rural have also been provided free accommodation.
Thiyagam is also running free tuition centres for poor children in five remote villages near Madurai, by employing five poor and qualified unemployed women and paying them honorarium. To sustain my family needs, my sister Meena is earning a small amount from our Tailoring Unit itself and I do part time accountancy work in Tally after the day’s work.
Yes! To wipe every tear from the every eye of my challenged sisters is my passion. I have a vision to reach out to more and more of my challenged sisters in villages with a mission to enable them to join in the mainstream.
I was born with one hand but here I found numerous hands to join me in this selfless endeavour.
A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. Thank you