Anvi Vijay Zanzarukia September 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

Anvi Vijay Zanzarukia has become known as the “Rubber Girl of India.” She began learning yoga at the age of 4 and since then has shared her unique journey with others.  Yoga has not only changed her life but the lives of so many other children with disabilities.  Anvi began a new campaign of “Karo Yog Raho Nirog” which allows her to share the power of yoga through her demonstrations with over 100 schools and institutions. She confidently demonstrates her abilities and has kindly shared one of her videos with us (link to yoga demonstration). 

Anvi has received recognition at the national yoga events in India, winning three gold and two bronze medals.  She was also awarded the “Best Creative Child with Disability Award – 2020” by the president of India.

Congratulations to Anvi as this month’s SENIA World Changer Award winner!

Kitsie LaRock August 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

Kitsie LaRock has a big heart and is always looking for ways to implement universal design into her work at Bernie LaRock & Sons Construction. Just days before the inaugural event of a newly constructed timber frame pavilion, Kitsie installed a beautiful cer-pak sidewalk from the parking lot into the Pavilion. Not only did she build the accessible sidewalk, she also paid for the cost of the installation of the sidewalk so the organization did not have to find the funds to pay for it. This sidewalk has guaranteed accessibility for all in the community to the beautiful new pavilion and ensures everyone can enjoy it!

Congratulations to Kitsie LaRock as a SENIA World Changer Award Winner!!

Hoang Minh Duong May 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Meet Minh, a 12th grade student at UNIS Hanoi who is proudly neurodivergent.  He displays his talents as a guest writer for the school newspaper. One of Minh’s internship pathways this year is co-teaching 10th-grade PE. Minh showed incredible leadership and work ethic leading him to be offered the new assistant basketball coach this season. Minh’s coaching responsibilities included organizing the game stats, prepping for practices, assisting the coaches at the games, and cheering on the team for the whole season. Not only has the basketball team won games, but they have also shown what being an inclusive school really looks like. When the crowd was cheering on the UNIS basketball team, they were also cheering for inclusion! Minh and his team have learned a lot of valuable skills in leadership and communication. Minh shared “Inclusion for me is to include everyone to be a part of the team even when we are on and off the court.”

Congratulations to Hoang Minh Duong as May’s SENIA World Changer Award Winner!

Korok Biswas April 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Korok Biswas is India’s first ever dance performer with down syndrome to be credited in India’s Book of Records. From an early age, Korok and his parents believed with love and support that Korok would pursue his passion of dance.  He trained hard and had learned that through perseverance and dedication he could achieve his goals.  His school, the Noble Mission of South Calcutta, supported him with developing patience, how to adapt to the world around him and believed in his performance talents. Korok has achieved much recognition for his dance and his work supporting people with down syndrome in India and around the world.  Here are some of his achievements: Indian National Award in Art & Culture, International Dance Council, UNESCO Best Fighter Dancer, and Down Syndrome International Self Advocate.  

Korok is taking the Indian dance performance scene by storm and in the process, inspiring future generations of people with down syndrome to follow their dreams.  Representation matters! 

Congratulations to Korok Biswas as the winner of this month’s SENIA World Changer Award!

To learn more about Korok’s journey: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NjK2jd9Yf4U6HACu2QOQzjCY90zTC1YW/view

Kan Fook Keong March 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Kan Fook Keong is a special education teacher in Sabah, Malaysia. Despite originating in Selangor that is more well-developed, Kan chose to stay teaching at a vocational school in the rural areas of Sabah, the least developed state, since 2012. He has guided the special needs learners comprising those with learning disorders as well as those with hearing impairments in many disciplines like sports and painting. During the pandemic, he discovered an alternative to students presenting their projects in innovation contests in sign language. As a result of his effort, he was able to train a team of hearing-impaired students to participate in several innovation contests and earned many medals. 

Kan is dedicated to the well being of his students and started a food project that prepares vegan meals for the students to promote healthier lifestyle with minimal environmental harm. He did this after learning that many of his students were either vegetarians or vegans.

Kan has been instrumental in supporting the dreams and passions of the students at Keningau Vocational College.  He is indeed a World Changer!

Congratulations to Kan Fook Keong for being a SENIA World Changer!

Sarah Anne Bulman January 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Sarah has always had a unique perspective on life. Her neurodiversity enables her to see beauty and value in unexpected ways. Sarah manages to find meaningful ways to share her thoughts, feelings, and part of herself through Art. All her paintings have elements of inclusivity to it and seeing her artworks make people see a different perspective to life, even the darker things, because Sarah finds beauty in them. She gives voice to the powerless and shows the beauty of the forgotten. Sarah is very reflective and highly empathetic and cares about all living beings, even the smallest creatures.

Congratulations to Sarah Anne Bulman as the recipient of the SENIA World Changer Award January 2023!

Here is a link to Sarah’s photos and artwork:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p6CAh4t44Pezf1ybcadHv6HoF002RQD3/view?usp=sharing

Lana Abon October 2022 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Lana Abon is a special education teacher in the rural area of Sabah, a Malaysian island state. She teaches students with hearing impairments and students with learning disorders. She has successfully trained three special needs students to qualify for Asian English Olympics, the most prestigious English language competition in Asia, in the storytelling category. The three students became the first special needs learners to ever compete in the event in 2021. This unprecedented achievement has broken another barrier for special needs learners in the region which proved that such learners can compete in events that are often reserved for non-disabled learners. The news on these students’ participation in that renowned competition became viral on the local social media pages which inspired many educators. She regularly organizes field trips for her students to travel around Sabah which she managed to finance via fundraising activities that she initiated for this specific purpose.

Congratulations to Lana Abon as the SENIA World Change Award winner for October!

Her students’ storytelling videos: https://youtu.be/9QqLsH2Hfks

Alexius Ignatius September 2022 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Alexius Ignatius was the first Malaysian to win a gold medal at an international art festival with his animated tale. The monthly art festivals hosted by Festival Bridges headquartered in Europe was the one of the most competitive art contests in the world and Malaysia only managed to clinch bronze or silver medals in the past. Hence, his gold medal was considered a breakthrough feat and what made it more astounding was that it was achieved by a special needs learner. Alexius was a regular volunteer that took an active role in assisting his school teams in many competitions and activities. He offered to be on the prop crew for the school theater which eventually won the district contest and managed the softball team that placed second in the district tournament. He led the special needs learners’ fundraising food kiosk to finance their field trips.  

Congratulations to Alexius Ignatius as September’s SENIA World Changer Award Winner!

Listen to Alexius’ animated tale here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O66kqOfKlpA

Avyasvina Istiniza Anak Unong August 2022 World Changer Award Recipient

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Avyasvina Istiniza Anak Unong is a special educational needs educator who has played a major role in training the special needs learners at her school to partake in various art competitions through alternative means.  This has resulted in unprecedented achievements from the student body and  drew national interest. She trained the students with hearing loss to perform monologue and poetry in sign language and helped students with specific learning disorders to be voice actors for animated storytelling. These students earned various medals and prizes in online and remote art and literary festivals. They have been invited to perform at several events including a national convention focusing on inclusion of the special needs community. The impact of her work went beyond her school as the students’ performance videos were shared widely and one performance video was shared by one of the country’s education leaders as well as the ministry of education on social media.

Congratulations to Avyasvina Istiniza Anak Unong as August’s SENIA World Changer Award recipient.

Here is one of her student’s performances: https://youtu.be/wCpXe-Mx-Q4

Hajime Chiba June 2022 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Hajime is a voice of self-awareness, acceptance and inclusion. He is a 9 year old boy, who currently attends Concordia International School, in Hanoi, Vietnam.  He was diagnosed with ADHD in grade 2 and strategies were put in place to support him at home and at school. Hajime raises awareness and inclusion around ADHD in his community through education.  He does this by delivering video presentations educating the students and teachers at Concordia International School about ADHD and the needs, challenges and successes that goes along with it. He sees his difference as a superpower and inspires others to do the same. He allows an accepting space for others to relate and identify with their own learning needs. He aims to be an influence of acceptance to a wider community in the future. Congratulations Hajime on sharing your superpowers with others!

See Hajime’s presentation on his ADHD brain.

Congratulations to Hajime Chiba as June’s SENIA World Changer Award recipient!