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Hi, my name is George Abraham and welcome to Eyeway conversations. My guest today is Sristi K C from Nepal. She is a motivational speaker, a dancer, and a trainer. Hi, Sristi, welcome!
Hi, George, thank you very much. Thank you.
So Sristi, let me begin by asking you, you are a motivational speaker. So tell me, what is the kind of audience you speak to? And what are the kinds of topics you speak about?
So yes, I've been working as a motivational speaker, both nationally and internationally. I speak to all ages and people. I speak to students, to youth mainly but also I do speak with young adults who are engaged in different sectors actually, like those who are working professionals, or just students. So I go around and deliver my speech. The topics I cover are mainly about the power of pain, positivity, living life with positiveness, success, failure. Also about woman empowerment or, you know chains that you could create to the world. So, I speak on different topics, also sometimes as the requirement of the organizer. So I have also been a TED speaker.
So TED, did you travel to the US to do the TED Talk? Or was it done online or it was done in Nepal?
Yeah, so I was a speaker in TEDx event in Nepal. And then when there was a TEDx event in India, that time I went more like to MC because I also do MC.
Wow, that's interesting. So how do people know that you are a speaker? And how do people actually invite you, do you do promote yourself or people come to you?
I think right now it has become more you know, word of mouth from different people. Kind enough of people to recommend or refer me. So somehow, they get to know me through my YouTube videos, through social media and I think you know, people referring. So that's how I haven't promoted myself much. But I think somehow they find me through my website, through Google and they approach me. So that's how it is.
You also set up an organization called Blind Rocks! Tell me a little bit about it. What is it setup for and what does it do?
So I got blind at the age of 16. It was due to the negligence of a doctor that I got steroid medicine and that caused glaucoma and I happened to lose my sight. So when I got blind, I was very shocked you know because I didn't know what was happening, what my future would look like you know. People were throwing lots of negative comments. So I was really shocked. And then at that point, I said no more shocking but it should be rocking. So to transform the life I started Blind Rocks! because I knew that the blind can rock the world. That's how the name came in. And then yes, I did go to kanthari International which is located in Kerala, India. So there I got the leadership training you know, I learned, I equipped myself with all the skills, how to run an organization and how to create a social impact in the society. Then when I came back to Nepal, I started Blind Rocks! Since I'm more into art and creativity, I decided to use art as a tool. So being a dancer myself, I started using dance as a measure tool in the beginning. Then after that, I also use like fashion, interpersonal skills, adventure, communication and many more to rock the life of blind people so thats what we have been doing for the past eight years and through organization also we traveled all around Nepal and also all around the world.
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You know, you talked about dance and there's a fair bit written about you, about your dance. Often it's difficult to comprehend you know, a blind person getting involved with dance because dance is essentially very visual. So how did you get interested in dance and talk us through your experience and career in dancing?
So I always loved dancing from my childhood you know, immediately if I hear music, I would just get up and dance. That's how I was like from the age of three, I was on stage you know, in the schools, in inter school competitions and all. So when I got blind at the age of 16, people had an opinion that being blind, I'll not be able to dance. But you know, my blindness had not taken my dream away, right? Because I still had this dream, I still wanted to dance. This was my passion. So after I got blind, I tried to go to different dancing institutions to learn dance. But this dance institution were backing out saying that it's impossible for blind to think of dancing. So they would always suggest me to rather go for music classes and so on. But then I was very determined, I wanted to dance and I wanted to show people that it is a possibility. That's why also I had made dance as a tool for social change in my organization, Blind Rocks! Though I hadn't got a chance to learn, I started to use my own imagination because you know, I had seen dance before. So I started choreographing myself, whatever I knew. I knew it wasn't up to the mark, I knew it wasn't that perfect but I didn't care. All I cared was I dance, you know. I do my passion. So I continued dancing, I continued performing. And I think that is what finally opened a door for me when I was hired in one of the reality show of Nepal, which is called Dancing with the Stars. They were hiring a star and they would tie us up with a choreographer. So that was a perfect chance for me to learn, because luckily, I was hired as a star because I was into activism already. So they hired me from the social field and I was tied up with a choreographer who started to teach me, you know. So it was quite challenging because I couldn't see visually, but then I would touch him you know, he would guide me. And then yeah, I was able to do challenging moves too like I used to do all those kinds of acrobatic moves and a lift and what not and I think it was all because I had a passion and patience both, and then my dance teacher, his name is Keshav Thapa, he also had that passion and patience both to teach me so I think at the end, we showed it that it is a possibility if you give a chance. So that's how I ended up also performing in reality show.
If our listeners want to see any videos of your dance, are they available, and if so, where can they see it?
Yes yes, it is available on YouTube. If you type Sristi K C dance, then you will find several dance on YouTube.
You've also done a fair bit of academic work in dance. Tell us about that.
Yeah. So since I always had this passion, I found this course called Dance anthropology. So I applied for my master's degree on dance anthropology. And luckily I got selected. It was for the Choreomundus Scholarship which is given by the European government. So I was able to study in four different countries. It was in Norway, France, Hungary, and UK. There also I faced a challenge, but the professors all were very cooperative. So we figured out how to make it, like you know how could I still study and make it accessible. It was more of academic, there I did not really learn how to dance, but I really learned a lot about dance and there, my research was mainly focused on how could I actually use dance to empower and emancipate blind and visually impaired people and also there I developed a pedagogy you know, the accessible pedagogy to teach dance for the blind. And I also created a dance for the blind, I mean, accessible dance for the blind. So I created an acoustic dance during my research. So as a blind dancer based on sound, and also as a blind audience, you could feel, perceive dance through sound. So it was made accessible from all perspective, you know. So that's how I even invented acoustic dance with sound of jewellery. I said, because like my blind dancers were fashioning the jewelleries, around their head, ankles, hip, and wrist. And it made different sounds. So it's body parts, were creating different sounds. So through sound we were able to see/perceive dance.
Excellent. I just want to know, when you applied for this Choreomundus scholarship and the course in Europe, did they know that you were visually impaired before or they got to know when you actually arrived in Europe?
When I applied, they did get to know that I was blind because I had written that in my personal statement. So later, when they spoke with me, they said like, see, we really find it like you know, you had you are competent, you have that vision, you have all the required qualities for us to take you in. But we never had any visually impaired or disabled students before. So they said that first, you have to teach us how to teach you. You know, that was what they had said. And I said, yes, I'm ready for it. I know, it's gonna be challenging but I also knew that together, we can find a solution. So we very much worked as problem solvers. And then we kept figuring out how to adapt to each module. And we were able to do that as well. You know, at the end, I did pass out with distinction mark, and then, like they were also happy, and they said from now onwards, we will also be open to taking any students with disabilities, because we get to know it's not just about adjustment, but it's actually opening up to view things in different perspective. So that made be quite happy and content.
No, this is a very refreshing approach to education, where you know, the university- it's a university, right, or the college?
University.
Yeah, so it's very encouraging to note that the university is extremely open to actually experiment and try out new things so that they grow into a more accessible and more welcoming place of pedagogy and learning.
Exactly, I also very much appreciate their approach. They didn't just take it as inclusion, just including a blind student in with other students, but rather they took it as an opportunity to try out different things and to see, maybe we could actually you know, innovate and add something new to the existing genres.
So you mentioned that you were in four countries, which is basically Norway, Hungary, France, and UK.
Yes.
So when you applied did all the four locations, were they aware of the fact that you were blind? And did they come together to kind of understand the pedagogy how to teach you? Or each time you went to a new country, you had to do the go through the exercise again?
I mean, though they knew it but since I was the first student, I had to do it again, right? I mean, in each country, I had to again, figure out from scratch, how do I cope with the environment? How do I cope with the course. But since my professors were highly highly corporative and very very open, and very positive, that always gave me a courage and strength to figure out the solution. So yes, I mean, I had difficulties and challenges but their cooperation madeit easier to figure out solution because they were always by my side, and they were always supportive. So I really appreciate and I'm really grateful towards the cooperation of my professors.
You know, in India, in Bangalore, there are a couple of organizations where blind people are taught dance and there are performers, performances also, and they often talk about the touch and feel method of teaching, was this something that was used also, when you were in Europe?
Yes, I mainly use touch and feel to make my course easier, my professors had helped me to enroll. One very good friend, his name is Huan, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank him for being such a cooperative friend throughout my work journey. So he would always sit beside me in the class. So he's from Peru and he would like everything that was shown in the video, he would draw in my hand, he would help me to manipulate in my body so I could get to know what's going on in the class. And also, after the class, he would sit with me because there were a lot of books, since it was a visual subject, lot of books, which is not accessible for me. So he would always spend time with me studying and explaining everything. So I did not feel that I missed out anything, you know, because he would verbally describe everything that was even happening visually. And sometimes even in the class, I would just get up, go to my professor and just touch their legs, you know while they were moving, to get to know what was happening. And that's how we learned and I get to know everything, even if it was a vitual. We didn't step back to understand anything.
So Huan was he kind of a volunteer, or was he hired by the university to support you?
He was hired by the university to support me. And he was brilliant. I mean, you know, he was always my first, kind of go to supervisor thing. You know, he would read books, he would explain everything that was happening in class, accompany me. So I mean, I highly appreciate what he did for me throughout my study. I mean, without him, without my professors, it would be impossible for me to get through the course, because it was very visual and very challenging. But they all helped me to study.
So he traveled with you to the four countries, or he was only in the first country?
So he traveled. At first, he was only for Norway. And then like he got offered that he can travel with me if he wants. And he was kind enough to accept that and to dedicate that two years for me. So he traveled with me throughout all the countries.
That's very very interesting and very unique, I must say, quite incredible. When you came back to Nepal, this new awareness of dance and the art form, you said you use it in your Blind Rocks campaigns. So tell us a little about how do you use dance to actually implement your agenda of social inclusion and social awareness.
So for my own blind participants, I teach dance. Now, we have also other professionals, who teaches dance to them through touch and all. And then we perform in different platforms. So that you know, it creates an awareness among the people. But beside what we also do is we also teach dance to non disabled people, you know, so when they come, we sometimes blindfold them. So it's kind of reverse inclusion, what I mean with that is like, we bring them to our world to experience our world in a complete, positive way to make them understand that, like when you can't see is actually when you activate your other senses, and then you can explore your other senses and enjoy you know. So that's the message we want to give to them. So, we blindfold them, and make them dance with us and get the experience and, and often they say, like wow, I had never realized that actually, you know, I always thought to be blind is to be in darkness, but it's not true. Actually to not to see and to be focused and enjoy opens up a different way of seeing the world, you know and that's quite rewarding for us for to make people understand that, you know, to be blind is not horrible. It's actually just different way of being and it's beautiful in its own way. So that's the message we carry.
And you're also a trainer. So tell me a little about what do you do as a trainer? Is it just dance or there are other areas of training also that you undertake?
I do other trainings also, I do teach dance also. But apart from it , since I'm a speaker, I do train on public speaking. I also train blind people how to do make up you you know, because we are into fashion. I teach blind about colors, different communication skills, including interpersonal skills, personality development, capacity building, confidence building, and many more. And I do this training not only for blind, but also for the non disabled people.
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You lost your eyesight when you were 16. And you must have been in school or just about finishing school at that point of time. So how did you adjust to that, it must have come to you as a shock. And of course you turned it into rock later on. But what was that shock to rock process?
I think even when I got blind at the age of 16, I know it came as a shock. You know, I wasn't happy about the situation, what was going on. Specially in my own blindness, it was the negative comments that people were shooting at me, you know like I will not be able to do anything, I'll not be able to study anymore, I'll not be able to work anymore. So then deep inside, I had said that before the world decides a live for me, I'm going to decide how I'm going to live my life ahead. So I had just finished my school. So I wanted to enroll in the college. But the colleges were backing out saying like, you know, they can't enroll a blind students, they should rather go to the special education because they don't have resources. They don't have teachers. So there were a lot of excuses. So at that moment, I said well, I have to accept and love myself the way I am, you know, and at least I had a good family. My families were very supportive and they didn't treat me differently. You know, I was always a daughter, I was always the sister, they didn't treat me as a blind daughter or a blind sister. So that gave me courage, you know, no matter what people said outside, at least I had family support. And I said like, well I'm not letting my family down, you know, because I could see my mother crying all the time. So I said, I don't want this, you know, I want to transform my mother's tears into happiness, into smile or that I need to make a difference to my life and to the society. So I should do it. So I had that determination. I decided I will study. And finally I got enrolled to the public campus, I luckily that very year I happened to top the entire University of Nepal and I even got awarded from the president of the country. So I made that history you know, where it was the first blind student who had topped the entire nation. So then slowly, people started to talk about me. So, I mean that started to pave a way for me to go on and go on, and I knew that I might fall. But I also knew that I can rise up.
Yeah. Tell me a little bit about your family who all are there? And how do they kind of respond to you? And maybe you might also like to talk about your friends?
Yes. So in my family, I have my father, mother, I have two elder brother very supportive, very loving, very caring, they both are married with beautiful women who are also very very supportive. They both have little little daughter who are also very cute and loving. So I have a lovely lovely family. And now I have lots of friends, then I had very few friends because a lot of them backed out. But I think who were meant to stay with me stayed, who were meant to be there for me are still there, you know, so sometimes I think being blind filters out, you know by default, only good ones stays with you I think that happened. So there are my amazing few friends from college level who are still with me right now. And now I have a lot of friends nationally and internationally because I'm also part of kanthari, from there, I got a lot of international friends. You know now, whenever I traveled to any country, I can always say oh, I know someone there you know, because kanthari was such a diverse environment to study and live in. So yeah, now I have a lot of people for whom I have to give my gratitude.
Sristi, it's lovely speaking with you, lovely getting to know you and wish you the very best. Take care.
Thank you so much, George for inviting me and helping me to spread my thoughts to the greater community. I hope our paths will cross sometime soon. Thank you so much, George.
This podcast was brought to you by Cipla Foundation and Score Foundation.
