From Selling Candies To Doing Her PhD, An Opportunity That Changed This Visually Imapired Woman's Life

We go through life with hope. A seed of hope is what gives us the courage to move mountains and achieve what seems impossible. And every day we come across stories of the people who have overcome such adversities and have set an inspiring example for others. One such story is that of K Suguna.

Suguna is a visually impaired woman whose tragic life has finally taken a turn for the better. She completed her B.A. in Tamil followed by B.Ed. But, she did not secure a job and started to sell candies along with her husband, B Elumalai at the Tambaram Railway Station of Chennai. Her husband who is also visually impaired would help her with small errands, contributing to sustaining his family. Suguna and Elumalai have two kids.

She was spotted selling candies at the railway station by a man who interacted with her and immediately called Sujith Kumar, an HR professional who runs Maatram Foundation along with his friends. Sujith and his team met Suguna.

Speaking to The Logical Indian, Sujith said, “It was not Suguna who caught my eyes but her son who was sitting on the roadside and studying amidst all the pandemonium. I had a brief interaction with Suguna and got to know that she has completed her B.A. in Tamil and also B.Ed., but owing to her disability, she was not given a job anywhere. To sustain her children and their education, she sells candies at the railway station.”

Sujith posted her story on social media which went viral within hours. Sujith also introduced her to the principal of Mahindra World School, Chennai, Nirmala Krishnan. After speaking with her for a while, the principal saw Suguna’s potential and inducted her as a Tamil language teacher.

Suguna uses braille to teach and sometimes asks students to write on the board while she dictates. With a job in hand, Suguna is now empowered to help her children continue their education at the same school.

Suguna lost her eyesight when she was just one-year-old and finished her education using Braille. Recently she was awarded, CavinKare Ability Master Award. She will now be pursuing a PhD while continuing her job.

The Logical Indian appreciates Sujith and his team for helping Suguna find an outlet to share her knowledge and wish Suguna the best for her future projects and studies.