Raina Nandani knows first hand how some Fijians react to people living with disabilities and she wants to use the Miss Tebara pageant to raise awareness of the importance of inclusion.
The 20-year-old wants to see a Fiji where people living with disabilities are encouraged and treated equally.
Miss Nandani is among seven contestants vying for the Miss Tebara crown at the Vodafone Tebara Carnival 2022 taking place at Siri Park, Nausori.
Having experienced the stigma associated with disability from a young age, Ms Nandani said the Tebara Carnival was the ideal platform to be a voice for the voiceless and help bring about a much-needed change in mindset.
“During my childhood, my hand was broken and the views of the people I saw during that stage of my life and even today are very surprising,” she said.
“All the remarks that people made affected me in a very negative way and discouraged me.”
However, resident Nausori said things started to turn around when she started using the negative words and taunts directed at her as a means to improve herself.
“It encouraged me to become successful and tell others that even if you have some form of disability, it doesn’t limit you from doing anything.”
Ms.
