Right Leg for Eating, Left Leg for Washing

sri katonWhitewash small studio with small terrace looks usual, clean yards same with the next two houses. At a glance, there is nothing different with another resident. But who knows, behind the house, a woman lived with physical disability.

It is not easy to find her house. This newspaper deliberately visits to see her activities who are born with disabilities without hands. Sri Katon (31) already waiting for me in front of her house, when I enter in the alley in front of PLN, SP1 Sorong District, Wednesday (11/11). In that afternoon, she was alone, her little daughter was sleeping in the room. Her husband, Siswanto was working construction in the next village. “It is far, isn’t it? Is it difficult to find my house? Let’s come to my house,” said her responsively.

This newspaper previously promise to talk extensively about her activities and routines at home, besides her activity as an activist and facilitator in Yayasan PATTIRO Sorong. In her small studio with one room, she allowed us to sit in the living room sized 3×3 meters. Starting conversation with a woman who wearing floral cloth sounds familiar. Occasionally, she took off her jokes to live her ambiance.

Sri Katon also use her right leg for writing

Although born imperfectly without hands, but she can use her legs to take care of her house, including her baby. She uses her legs to bathing her child, making milk, and carrying her baby. I feel so touched when listening the beginning of the story.

While talking, this woman that do not want to be underestimated and make her shortage as a motivation without hindrance to work, doing her work just like a normal woman as a housewife is also busy playing her hand phone. She put Samsung Ipad hand phone on the floor with her leg, she also explore the virtual world, build a communication with her friends. She glances with smiling when she opens her phone screen.

“If my left leg could be as my hands even to wash the dishes, I will use my legs. But, my right leg only use to eat,” said Sri.

Living with any physical disabilities makes her learn toughly and able to rise if she want to prove to work and useful for others. Although in her childhood she often gets scorn and derision from her friends. This woman, who just graduated from elementary school, often tears when derided. Her grandfather became a person to tell her story. Her grandfather’s advice strengthens her spirit.

Although her writing style is different, Sri Katon’s handwriting are nice and tidy.

“When I was 12 years old, I dare myself to go to the market, but people looked weird at me and I was crying, fortunately there was a woman came to me and asked to me, and from that moment, I was not embarrassed with my condition” told her when remembering the past time.

She endlessly gratitude for the gift she gets. From her marriages with Siswanto, she gets a little fairy grown into a healthy and smart baby. Her marriages also a beautiful gift that she had. Her meetings with her husband may be spell as God’s direction, and it began with wrong number when she wants to call her cousins. She touched, due to that introduction, Siswanto intends her as a wife. Emotion and happy were mixed at that time, she did know what to be grateful again.

After married, they migrated to Sorong with sound system, VCD player, and computer cash result. “We arrived at the harbor with Rp.200.000, we slept in the mosque, but in the next day I met my cousin who has been long time in Sorong and we stayed in her house,” said her while she walk away from her house.

Now, she becomes as an activists and facilitators in Yayasan PATTIRO. She fights for the right of disabilities and embraces disabilities to appear and do not ashame to activity like a normal person. She also conveyed to difables “Do not make limitation as an obstacle, because behind the limitation, God will insert advantages,” she hoped.

She hopes the disabilities are seems able to rise from diversity and do not feel excluded so that they can live like a normal person. Although cannot work normally, but persistent and confident of this woman is able to proves that people like her be able to work. With her limitation wihout hands, she can accompany her husband and take care her child. From her story life, we can learn how to encourage ourselves and helpful for others. Working hard and resilient in life without reducing gratitude.

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