A 14-year-old girl with a strong desire to be a forest officer had her wish fulfilled when the authorities at Nagarahole Tiger Reserve designated her as a ‘’Range Forest Officer’’ and she played her role with aplomb, for a day.
The ‘’RFO’’ Aishwarya from Bevkal village in Mandya district is battling a life-threatening disease and undergoing treatment in Bengaluru.
She had expressed her desire to be a forest officer and the NGO ‘’Make a Wish Foundation’’, which has operations in over 50 countries and helps fulfill the desire or the wish of children battling life-threatening diseases, took up her case or wish.
The organisation got in touch with the authorities and Mahesh Kumar, Director, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, facilitated the fulfillment of Aishwarya’s wish.
A vehicle was sent to her village in Mandya from where Aishwarya – who was accompanied by her parents - was brought to Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on Thursday evening. On Friday – which also happened to be World Wish Day - she ‘’took charge’’ and ‘’officiated’’ as an RFO.
She adorned the uniform specially made for her and went around the forest getting a firsthand experience of the role and duties of RFO at the tiger reserve.
Aishwarya visited an anti-poaching camp to learn of the duties of the field staff after which she visited the safari centre and interacted with staff and a few visitors. ‘’Later she conducted a meeting of the range-level staff and went around the forest and did all that is expected of an RFO, after which she was dropped back at her village’’, said Mr. Mahesh Kumar.
It was an exercise in the making since 6 months as Aishwarya’s health condition was too fragile to allow her to travel. There was a window of opportunity with an improvement in her health and the authorities utilised it and helped fulfill the girl’s wishes.
