Shattered by an accident? Stop crying and learn from this courageous girl, who is now changing the lives of slum children with her art.

Sarita Dwivedi was just four when she lost both her hands and one leg in an accident. But, when you meet her, she will not let you feel sorry about her life and fate. Based in Allahabad, Sarita is a renowned person in the town. As you enter the Govindpur locality and ask for Sarita’s home, you will find happy faces, all eager to show you her house. People will guide you to her house in the army quarters where she resides with her parents.

The accident that changed her life

Sarita was just four years when she was visiting her uncle’s place. During her stay, she came in contact with an exposed high-voltage wire which affected her hands and one leg. After the painful accident, Sarita remembers herself crying for days and her mother consoling her throughout. But, her mother stood for her like a pillar and became her strength to fight against her new found disabilities. Sarita’s mother, taught her to write with her toes, and gradually she also learnt to use the pencil with her mouth and toes. This way, she also learnt to use a paint brush which later was going to change her life.

In the coming years, Sarita showed people her art by making beautiful landscapes and portraits. She graduated with flying colors in Fine Arts form the Allahabad University and also won several National and International awards. In the year 2005, Sarita was awarded by the Rashtriya Balshri Award and in 2008 she was awarded the Rashtriya Baal Puraskar by the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry of India. She also won a silver medal in an arts competition held by the Egyptian Embassy of India.

Sarita’s Painting School

After filling beautiful colors into her life, Sarita is now busy filling colors into the lives of slum kids. She runs a painting school for the slum kids after she came across a similar incident that had changed her life. Sometime back, she was passing by the Bharat Scout Chauraha when she saw a high-voltage wire hanging openly. Fortunately, the wire disconnected from the pole and landed on a few urchins. This helped a few rag-pickers escape from the site without any injuries. From that day, Sarita decided to do something which could help these kids. She proposed the idea of starting a painting class for these kids in front of her parents to which, they agreed. Today, there are some 25 students in her informal class, learning the art of painting from Sarita. You will see kids wearing shabby clothes engrossed completely in art. With a few water colors and crayons, they were busy drawing beautiful pictures under a tree.

Sarita spends all her scholarship money and prize amount on buying the stationary for these kids. She adds, “I am inspired by Dr Ajay Jetly, the head of the department of visual and performing arts at Allahabad University, who is a dedicated teacher.” Sarita sometimes goes out of her way to help these kids. She conducts classes on the pavement of the road where these kids live.

Recently, a speeding car accidently bumped into Sarita’s tricycle, injuring her at a few places. But, determined to do her good work, she freely goes out with her students yet again for her charity work.

Sarita’s Dream

Sarita dreams of starting a unique school where education won’t just be restricted to books. She wants children to be equally trained in the various forms of art. She believes that art is a strong medium of empowerment. She says, “Just as it empowered me, I know that these children too will overcome their grim circumstances and create their own powerful identity through art. And the way people recognize me for my creativity, and not my physical disability today, some day these children too shall be known for who they are and not where they come from.”

However, her student Chammo says, “One day our Sarita didi will make a huge painting for the country and we shall all fill the colors on that canvas with her.”