Parishmita and Loni Kalita are youth leaders with and without Intellectual disabilities who are excited to join the Youth Summit ,to be held in Singapore in June 2024. Loni is a student of the NREM College in Guwahati, Assam and has a degree in social work besides being a certified Developmental Therapist and Parishmita is a student of Ashadeep Special School. Unified Bocce brought them together as part of the Unified Champion School programming (UCS) of which the state has been an active participant since 2021. Parishmita and Loni often join each other in planning and executing Youth activation sessions to expand youth engagement in the state. Besides Bocce, Parishmita plays Badminton, Football and Athletics.
Spreading Awareness and Joy together
Unified Pair Assam
Parishmita joined SO Bharat in 2022. She was diagnosed with Mild Intellectual Disability and attended the Ashadeep Day Rehabilitation centre in Guwahati. In the initial phase Parishmita exhibited several behavioural problems like mood swings, temper tantrums and hyper activeness. However, after therapeutic intervention and her inception in Special Olympics ‘s sports activities, her focus was channelized into positive actions. Her engagement with youth leaders has made her confident. She has an elder brother who supports her in every step. Her parents are very proud of her achievements. Parishmita’s pleasant demeanour brings cheer to anyone in her company.
Speaking about them Ms Priyanka Goswami, their Adult Mentor says, “The UCS programming has enabled us to bring several youth with differences together. Both Loni and Parishmita are a super active pair. Their confidence increases when they have a hula-hoop or a badminton racquet with themselves. They support each other and work together cheerfully”. Parishmita enjoys the time she spends with Loni doing various activities. She is looking forward to the summit, to meet new people and make new friends. Loni too looks forward to the Summit, to understand the experiences of unified pairs from the rest of the Asia Pacific region. While she enjoys providing guidance to Parishmita , wherever required, she too learns in the process.
Parishmita and Loni were part of the reception team during the opening and closing ceremonies at the National Badminton Championship held in the state in March 2024. The upcoming Summit has brought them together once again, with a purpose of sharing their past experiences and ideating a roadmap to expand the reach of the program to more youth in schools and colleges.
