[SC 2025] Blind, but Determined: Preety Daby's Lesson in Courage

At just 21 years old, Preety Daby represents a success built step by step, through consistency and effort. Blind from birth, this student of Sharma Jugdambi State Secondary School grew up in an environment largely designed for sighted individuals, learning early on how to adapt to challenges that few students face. Rather than hindering her ambitions, her disability has become a challenge she has chosen to meet head-on. In 2025, she achieved a major milestone by passing the School Certificate exams with a total of 33 units and three credits, after an inspiring and demanding journey.

From her early school years, her daily life has been marked by rigorous organization. In class, lessons written on the board are dictated to her, instructions are reformulated, and then transcribed into Braille before being revised at home. Each assignment requires more time, concentration, and method. While others progress without hindrance, Preety moves forward with patience, turning the imposed constraints into a genuine learning leverage.

Her path is also filled with personal trials. At the age of ten, she lost her mother to a sudden illness. This loss turned her childhood upside down and led her to be placed in a shelter for a time. This difficult period, spent away from her family, helped to forge her character. Surrounded and supported, Preety developed early resilience and learned to move forward without being overwhelmed by adversity.

The challenges did not stop there. In 2018, just before the start of the school year, she found herself without a school, facing the threat of interrupting her education. It was a moment of great uncertainty, where the future seemed suspended. Thanks to the commitment of those around her and her own tenacity, Preety eventually managed to enroll in the SSS Jugdambi of Goodlands, a decisive turning point that brought her stability, confidence, and an environment conducive to her academic growth.

The results of the SC 2025 today recognize this long journey. Preety achieved an A in Hinduism, a B in Sociology, Cs in English and French literature, as well as good results in French, Travel and Tourism, and English Language. Beyond the grades, these results reflect substantial work carried out under demanding conditions, where perseverance played a central role.

In an emotional message, Preety wanted to share the significance of this success herself. "This journey has never been easy. As a blind student, I faced many challenges, but I never allowed my disability to define my limits. Thanks to Braille, patience, and countless hours of hard work, I kept moving forward," she confided. She also mentioned the crucial support from her surroundings: "My teachers believed in me when the path seemed dark, and my friends have always been by my side. There were moments of doubt and pain, but I chose strength and hope over giving up. Today, I am proud of my journey, my efforts, and my success. Proud to be a Jugdambist."

This achievement has not gone unnoticed. The Minister of Education, Mahend Gungapersad, personally visited her home to commend her courage and journey. "I wanted to congratulate Preety on her exam performance. She is an exemplary child, despite the difficulties she has faced," he stated, also paying tribute to the support provided by her family, father, carer, and teachers. Inviting the youth to draw inspiration from her example, the minister reminded everyone that Preety "never gave up" and assured that steps would be taken to support her in continuing her education. "I congratulate her and especially wish her to persevere," he concluded.

Beyond her academic results, Preety stands out for her attitude. Cheerful, sociable, and future-oriented, she refuses to define herself by her limitations. Her journey carries a strong message: that of a youth who moves forward without renouncing and who believes in education as a lever for emancipation.

Today, having traveled this path, Preety Daby continues her studies in Grade 12. Already looking ahead, she plans to attend university after obtaining her HSC, with the same rigor and inner strength that have guided her journey thus far, and to work afterward. Through her story, she reminds us of an essential truth: it is not sight that illuminates a path, but the will to keep moving forward.