BHARATI PAWASKAR
Polio crippled him as a kid and he grew up facing many challenges. For a boy hit in leg with polio, it was a difficult for him to step out of home and travel. Bullied and harassed by fellow students and bearing sarcasm, he managed to pass class XII. Luckily, throughout his academic years he received regular counselling by psychologist Ketaki Parob Gadekar. If Akshay Acchut Fadte could continue his studies it was because of this moral support. However, he could not continue college due to various reasons “ average intelligence, poor economic background and physical disability. So, who would employ a XII pass physically challenged boy? With no job, Akshay confined himself in his home and sank into depression. Cut off from the rest of the world this teenager wanted to give up on life and die.
But destiny has chalked out different plan for him. Akshay remembered the motivational words of his counsellor who considered him as her own child. He knew if anyone would bring him out of depression it was Ketaki madam. Finally he called her and narrated his mental situation. Realizing the urgency of the matter, Ketaki continued counselling him over telephone. She gave him hope and encouraged to start something of his own.
“What if there is no job. Do your own business from home,” she convinced him. And it worked. He words did magic. Akshay came out of his depression and kick-started a small business “ a digital marketing company. Today he is completely out of depression, runs his company, earns well and does a side business too, of making Agarbattis. A precious life was saved. A thankful Akshay remains obliged to Ketaki madam whose words gave him courage to face the world, stand up and be independent.
“This is but one incident of the many that give me immense satisfaction, for having chosen this field which allows me to help people in distress. Making someone’s life stable, solving their issues, bringing a smile on someone’s face makes my day,” states Ketaki who runs a behavioural training and counselling center, ‘OM - Optimisfic Mind’ at Porvorim. A member of Goa State Commission for protection of child rights and Goa State Commission for Women, she is in the field for past 11 years. A transformational speaker Ketaki has made remarkable impact on children, adolescents, teachers, parents, head of the schools and corporate world.
“One has to work upon self, and make ourselves emotionally sound before we advise someone else,” believes Ketaki who has handled numerous cases successfully in her decade-long career. “We all need counselling at some point of life or other and 80 per cent of the problems we face in life are created by us, they are man-made and we can change this situation positively,” she states.
Taking her mission a step ahead Ketaki has initiated, ‘WOW “ World of Outstanding Women’ “ an NGO that currently has 15 active members from all walks of life who are working towards bringing positivity in women’s minds. This founder president of WOW advises, “Women should never underestimate themselves, whether working or non-working. We all have hidden talents. We must explore them, engage ourselves in constructive activities, follow our hobbies and interests and find joy in our achievements. All this will keep our minds healthy.”
Ketaki points out, Women face lot of problems in their day-today life and many a times they don’t have an outlet or a vent to express what they feel. We wish to empower the women and help them mentally grow up.” There are many phases in the life of a woman when they need to be understood by those who are around them. An expecting mother undergoes various hormonal changes in her body. If these changes are not noticed and taken care of, before the delivery, the woman may go into post-partum depression. She herself and the people around her must be made aware of this possibility and if any signs are seen, she could be provided guidance and help to recover from it. Also the time of menopause is very disturbing for a woman. Again, there are hormonal changes happening in the body during this phase of life. The woman undergoes psychological turmoil. She has to be told to understand herself and others too, must understand her condition.
Basically it is to make people understand how beautiful a woman is, from inside out. If the various phases in a woman’s life are taken care of, she will pass through them easily and without any major psychological disturbance. WOW is a platform to engage women, in their hobbies, to make them live and love life, again.
WOW’s upcoming programme ‘Celebrate Womanhood’ is to make each and every woman realise that she is special and that she should realise her own worth. WOW has a beautiful blend of working woman, dancers, home makers, students and entrepreneurs. WOW focuses on uplift women emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, by making them realise their worth. There would be a law session too, where laws pertaining to women would be discussed upon. There would be fun games too, to make women open up.
This newly formed NGO has organized many programmes in the past three months “ a programme on meditation, a classical dance performance by Kathak Visharad Gauri Vinayak Samant, a programme on October 2 for senior citizens ‘Swacchata Within’ in association with YUVA Panaji.
It’s true that technology sometimes becomes a bane. Internet has connected us with the world but disconnected us from the reality and the immediate surroundings. Mobiles have snatched away live conversations. People are lonely. They are in search of someone to share their feelings, to talk, to have a dialogue. Lack of a real friend has led to people making friends on Facebook and opening up their intimate lives before strangers, who may take advantage. Instead WOW offers a platform to women to interact, and find time to be themselves and to seek joy from mundane life.
