Rukhsida "holding" a camera
The 44-year-old Indonesian woman Rukhsida Badawi lost both her arms in an accident at the age of 12, but she overcame unimaginable difficulties using a specially modified camera to capture breathtakingly beautiful photographs. Her story, once revealed, moved countless people...
The 44-year-old Indonesian woman Rukhsida Badawi lost both her arms in an accident at the age of 12, but she overcame unimaginable difficulties using a specially modified camera to capture breathtakingly beautiful photographs. Her story, once revealed, moved countless people and inspired many others with disabilities like her.
Photography is about the heart, not the hands
According to British media reports on the 10th, Rukhsida was born in a poor village in Central Java, Indonesia. At the age of 12, she had an accident that cost her both arms. In 1989, she entered a vocational rehabilitation center for tailoring and photography training, which is when she fell in love with photography.
A photographer without hands is like a runner without feet—it’s disheartening. But Rukhsida doesn’t see it that way. To her, the most important thing in photography is using the “heart,” not the “hands.” Because she lacks hands, actions that would take a normal person just one minute can take her five. To make photography easier, she modified her camera in several ways herself—for example, adding screws to the shutter button.
Wants to open a photo studio in the village
Now, Rukhsida is a seasoned photographer with over 20 years of experience. Although she only earns $33 a month, she lives happily with her husband and son. Her biggest dream is to one day open a photo studio in the small village where she lives and works.