‘Life is a precious gift’

Many will remember that Bhajan, 17, of Felicity, Chaguanas, as the girl born without arms. Despite this great disability, Bhajan attained five distinctions in last year’s CXC examinations. On Wednesday, she was the featured speaker at the school’s graduation. Aided by her sister Reshma on stage in turning the pages of her prepared speech, Bhajan brought teachers and parents close to tears when she prefaced her speech with the opening words: "Life is a precious gift."

She told the graduating class: Life is a precious gift which must not be wasted being unhappy, dissatisfied or anything less than you can be." The petite teenager, whose first name means "fighter or warrior", delivered a speech in which she identified her own struggle to overcome her disability. "Real success also lay in the ability to overcome obstacles with every trial endured and weathered," Bhajan said. Bhajan exhorted students to follow the guidance of their parents. Schools Supervisor 1, Harold Seepaul, advised pupils to keep with them the morals which were taught to them at primary school. Right and wrong, he added, were norms which did not change.