One Step at a Time

Shikha Ahmed is always the first student to arrive at Little Angels high school.

Shikha has poliomyelitis in her lower left leg. She was recently integrated into a mainstream high school in Sion, India, from her special-education class in Colaba. Because there is no ramp to accommodate her, she has a hard time climbing the stairs all the way to her third-floor classroom.

Shikha is often by herself during the school day. Her school lacks the kinds of facilities that would help her socialize with her classmates. When the other students participate in physical education or go to camps, she is left behind.

But despite her physical disability, Shikha refuses to give up on herself. She works hard in her new math class, and is determined to become a software engineer.

Source: India/India - Stories from the field: One Step at a Time