Miss Hurday may be a young woman with a disability but this is far from being the first thing you notice about her or remember after meeting her. What is astonishing about her is her joie de vivre that can be seen as soon as you meet her. We?ve been celebrating women?s day very recently, and Miss Hurday is an example of a young woman who wishes to break taboos and get ahead in life.

This 22-year-old student has not always suffered from a disability. ?I was ?normal? until I fell down the stairs at primary school. Then I had to stop all my activities for one year. I couldn?t walk at all because of a kidney problem.? Now, Miss Hurday can walk again and she leads quite a normal life although she often needs help from her family and friends.

I met her at the university of Mauritius where she is doing a BA in History and International Relations. Judging by her results, she has succeeded in adapting to university life and to the people around her. And most important, people at the university have never made her feel different. ?I?ve never really suffered from the attitude of other people towards me. Those who can?t understand why I do not walk like everyone else just ask me. But I suppose they see beyond my disability.?

When she finished school, she knew she wanted to go to university but had certain apprehensions. Her father explained her problem to the administration, but still, Miss Hurday was panic-stricken. ?As usual,? adds a smiling Ashwina. And unnecessarily so, as it turned out?

Ashwina is her best friend ever. Although they met only one year ago, it seems they can?t do without one another They complete each other?s sentences and both start laughing contagiously when I speak of a prince charming.

?At the beginning, I didn?t know that she suffered from a handicap. The first day, I didn?t know anyone in class and neither did she. This is how our friendship started?? remembers Ashwina. Since then, Ashwina has always been there? Not only to help Miss Hurday to get about but above all to share the laughter. Not to mention their shared dream of founding a non-governmental organisation after university!

It is thanks to her that Miss Hurday finally decided to go to Ile de La Passe with the rest of the class. ?The whole history class was going to this island with a specialist in archaeology. Ashwina kept telling me to come,and I knew that it would be nice but I was afraid it was risky for me? Finally, she managed to convince me and I must admit it was a great day? Although I was so tired that I slept for two days afterwards!?

Though it is not always physically easy for Miss Hurday, the fact that she is always determined to go ahead and the way she feels comfortable wherever she goes must make things less difficult for her. When people see her positive attitudes and her determination to lead a normal life, they treat her like any other person? And this is all she asks for!