Gunavathy Muthu
Accounting Manager
Mobility-impaired
Joined Genashtim on 16 February 2014
“I am Gunavathy or Gee as my friends call me. I am from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I have had polio since I was 8 months old but that has not stopped me from being ambitious like any other abled person.
When I was young, I attended normal schools and I finished college among very much abled people. Even though it was tough competing with them, I was determined to prove to everyone that being a physically challenged person does not make me less abled than them in any way.
My family were too protective towards me because of my condition (I limp and wear special shoes because my right leg is an inch shorter than the other and I cannot use my right hand at all. Moreover, I am prone to falling) and they became my main obstacle when I started looking for jobs. But my eldest sister was and still is very supportive of whatever I do and with her help, I moved out to find jobs.
Finding jobs was not easy those days for a physically challenged person and from the employers’ point of view, I am not capable of working with one hand. So, there came my second obstacle, but this made me more determined to find a job. And I did, with the help of an employment agency. I joined as a General Clerk in a small Indian company with a meagre salary and from there onwards, I gained experience and moved on to other bigger, well-established companies. Even though I did not get a job based on my qualification, I grabbed whatever job that was offered to me to gain experience. I have worked as a receptionist, accounts clerk, customer service, export coordinator, secretary, accounts assistant, and HR assistant. At one point, I even managed the whole department in the absence of my superior and my last held job was as an administrative executive. I am proud to say my appraisal was as equal as an abled person’s appraisal and I was lucky to have had very nice bosses.
Then came news that almost shattered my freedom and independence. In 2008 I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a disease only 1 in 100 polio victims are diagnosed with. A disease affecting the muscles and nerves and can make a person bedridden and immobile. I was depressed at first but pulled myself together and consoled myself. I told myself there are people affected by even harder circumstances in this world compared to me. I left my job because I was having difficulty climbing the staircase, waking up in the mornings and I also started to become forgetful. But now I am much better with the help of Varma massage and Siddha medicines.
Since then, after I left my job, I was looking for home-based jobs but unfortunately, none were reliable, and some required a small deposit which made me quite reluctant to join them.
Finally, I got to know about Genashtim through another physically challenged person. I applied for a part-time job in the Administrative Department but was offered a permanent post as an accountant at Genashtim and a substitute coach for EPIC Online. As I lost touch with accounting for several years, I found it a bit difficult upon starting over. At one point, I almost gave up but with Thomas’ encouragement and guidance, I continued and now I can say I can handle it quite well.
At Genashtim, everything is done online and in the comfort of our own homes without having to worry about transport or beating the traffic and arriving punctually to work. Everything is conducted through emails and Skype as well as Google Hangouts. We have Management Meetings through Skype or GoToMeeting, and these meetings are attended by staff from all around the world and most of us are physically challenged. Just imagine having colleagues worldwide talking and seeing each other in real time from the comfort of their homes! I would say that’s really amazing!
Genashtim employs us not because we are physically challenged but because they believe that we have the capabilities just like any other abled person in terms of knowledge, skills and performance. I know that physically challenged people can do anything they want as long as they believe in themselves and have the determination and the ‘never give up attitude’. As Thomas has pointed out to me several times, “Genashtim is not a charitable organization”, and definitely not a place for lazy or incompetent people. So, here at Genashtim, we work with the same terms and conditions as any abled employee. We get penalized for our mistakes just like everyone else and this makes us more determined to improve ourselves.
I am proud to be a part of the Genashtim family as it is not easy finding jobs for the physically challenged and Genashtim has given me the opportunity to be independent and happy once again.
For me, ‘We are how we live our life, so make the most of it and make use of the opportunity given to the fullest’.
