Dyvia Swamy needed close attention and assistance to go about her daily routine early in her life. Fortunately, this changed after she underwent a successful life-changing surgery when she was 11 years old.
Prior to this, she could not walk, as she was born physically disabled. The little sense of independence gained from having the ability to walk, although supported by a walker, changed her life forever.
Now at 23 years old, Swamy is close to completing her Certificate III in Office Assistant at the Fiji National University (FNU), something she had difficulty fathoming while growing up but was always determined to achieve.
With a good support system, Swamy has broken stereotypical perceptions of persons with disabilities and has already landed interviews for employment positions.
Relentless in her pursuit of a better life, Swamy has never let her disability dissuade her from completing her goals.
“When I started walking, it was a very big thing,” she said.
“Even though I can’t walk normally, at least I can still walk. I can do things by myself. I can even help with the housework. It gives me a degree of independence.”
“For someone who only reached class four, coming to university was a great achievement for me.”
Swamy had taken vocational classes at the National Council for Persons with Disabilities complex prior to joining FNU.
“My mother pushed me to go to University. She was the one that said I could do it. I was taking computing at the vocational centre and they saw that I was good and sent me here.”
With four more units to complete her program, Swamy attests it has not been a smooth sailing journey, especially living away from her family who are in Labasa.
“The transition to University from the Vocational Centre was challenging because I was coming into a whole new environment. The Centre was familiar to me because we were all the same, in a sense. I had never done units like accounting, so it was different.
“I am grateful however that the lecturers here are helpful and that my friends have been supportive. If I am not able to go to classes, the lecturers come to me and so while it has not been easy, it has been a great learning experience so far.”
She added that although there has been progress in realising the rights of persons with disabilities, greater awareness is still needed to change the mindsets of individuals.
“When I was on my way to a job interview, I was stopped by a man who asked me why I walked like this and if I was asking for money. I was surprised at the mentality that some people still had. So we must change people’s mindsets. We are not always asking for money. Some of us are trying to live independently,” she said.
Swamy added she was grateful for the University’s efforts in ensuring accessibility and an encouraging and empowering environment for persons with disabilities.
