Ocular albinism has not come in the way of this aspiring chartered accountant in Pune

Kinjal Popat was born with ocular albinism, a genetic condition that leads to low vision and lack of pigment in the skin. This means that Kinjal’s eye are tired if she studies beyond two-three hours a day.

Its a huge struggle but Kinjal has not let that come in the way. The 20-year-old from Pune cleared the CA-CPT exam in January, which is the first step towards becoming a chartered accountant.

For Kinjal to get this far, the struggles were many. Apart from her disability, she also had to travel 25 kilometres one way everyday to get to her school. She is from Chikhli in Buldhana district and her parents own a grocery store. They were determined to make sure their child got a good education and sent her to an English medium school.

She was not allowed to watch TV so she would spend her time in her father’s shop, which is how she developed an interest in business, and eventually in becoming a CA.

Her teachers say that she is a hardworking student and is determined despite all the challenges imposed by her condition.

Kinjal believes that anybody can excel if they stop pitying themselves and make an effort to achieve their goal.