Haseena Hediyal Fighting Her Disability - Enabling Dreams in Haveri

Haseena Hediyal, fighting through her disability, hailing from the marginalized community has been awarded with an appreciation Certificate for Social Services by District Administrative Authority. Having worked extensively on vulnerable children for years and the disabled community for ages, these recognitions would empower her to sensitise people on their plight.

Haseena after being conferred will work more intensively for people with disabilities and also for the rights of children. Haseena will continue to play an important leadership role for the holistic community development in several villages across Haveri.

Over the years, Haseena has referred and admitted around 200 children Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRCs) across Haveri and Davangere. She also has carried out regular advocacy activities and ensured to activate a closed NRC at Haveri District PHC. She then continued to monitor Anganwadi Centers , with a special focus on identifying SAM  children along with working for the empowerment of disabled, school dropout children. She single handedly has impacted lives of thousands of children through her intervention.

In 2006, she joined The Association of People with Disability (APD) and started working for disabled children. Her profile included identifying and mobilizing disabled children, monitoring their education, enrolling them, raising awareness in the community, advocating with local governments to issue disabled certificates for those children and ensuring benefits such as free health check-ups and other socio-economic supports from the governments.

“I was born as a disabled child. I lost my mother at an early age of 4 and did not receive proper care and support from in my childhood. Life experiences shaped my journey and made me resolute to bring about a sustainable change in the lives of children. Every struggled made me strong and every denial shaped my will. Today, with the responsibility I have been entrusted upon makes me hopeful to bring about an impactful change in the lives of people,” said Haseena.

In 2012, Haseena was inspired by Mr. Mariswamy from Samajika Parivarthana Janandolana (SPJ) a program supported by CRY. The organisation’s stand on malnutrition resonated with her wish to work on the same issue. She identified over 700 SAM children, and in the process, she was very active in conducting mother’s meeting (pregnant and lactating) providing awareness on nutrition, care for 0 to 6 years children.

Her recognitions is not only empowering but also gives hope to people with disability that through proper determination and grit one can overcome the hardest challenges in life.