Jwala Sukumaran: Short in Frame but Tall in Thoughts

KOCHI:
Jwala K Sukumaran, an aspirant designer participating at the CERA #Design Kerala Summit, may be vertically challenged but has tall and thought-provoking ideas on design and on building back Kerala for the better.

The 19-year-old student who measures less than 3 feet in height asserts, “Representatives of the differently empowered community who have experienced problems and challenges facing the population should actively participate when designing solutions for the future.”

Jwala who is preparing for a seat in premier design institutes of the country points out that majority of our public places are not disabled-friendly.

“Ramps are absent in most public places hindering their free access by the challenged segment of our population. The steps in most places are very high, even if one manages to climb up; it is very difficult to climb down. Even schools are not designed to cater to the requirement of the disabled.”

Ask her about the spark behind getting into design as a career option, she said, “I have seen young children in slums making small items of craft for a living and have always thought that they too should get the opportunities that I have got in life.”

Jwala wishes to make clothes from recycled plastic employing workers from Dharavi in Mumbai who though do labourious work have failed to make a mark.

“It is also difficult to get items of clothing for a person like me. Eventually, I would want to get into something like that,” says Jwala who completed her tenth standard from SSRVM and her higher secondary schooling from Sacred Heart, Thevara, both in Kochi.

The only child of media persons KK Sukumaran and Lovely Mol Mohan, Jwala’s end goal in life is to do something that will be of help to others. “Everything I do, I want to do sincerely and in a way that benefits others.”

She talks about an experiment where soaps with loops can help the elderly who have difficulty moving their hands, “It might seem a simple solution when we look at it, but it means a great deal to the people who suffer from such problems.”

Jwala, who is described by her teachers as a hard-working creative youngster, is all praises for Design Summit as it has opened her eyes to wider possibilities