K. V. Rabiya Biography 
Kariveppil Rabiya, shortly known as K. V. Rabiya is a physically challenged social worker from Vellilakkadu, Malappuram of Kerala state. She is a social worker who played a significant role in Kerala State Literacy Campaign in Malappuram district in 1990 and rose to prominence. It was the same mission that made Kerala the only 100% literate state of India. In 1994, she received National Youth Award from the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India and she received the award from the then Prime Minister of India, P. V. Narasimha Rao. In 2001, she was awarded the first Kannagi Sthree Sakthi Puraskar for her efforts for the uplift of women in Kerala.
She was born on the 25th of February, 1966 to a poor Mappila family in a remote village, Vellilakkadu of Malappuram district. Her father was a ration shop owner. She studied at Tirurangadi High School and PSMO College, Tirurangadi. During her first year at college her legs were crippled by polio. She was only 17 then and was forced to discontinue her studies as she can’t move without someone’s help. In 1990, when adult literacy campaign was started in Kerala, she started a group in her own native place gathering old people. Within six months, virtually the entire illiterate population of Tirurangadi became a part of her class. Though she was a disabled person, she promoted the need of education and prompted more people to join her classes. Thus people of different ages from eight to eighty studied in her class.
Later she forwarded her works as a social worker and raised complaints about the lack of basic infrastructure at her village. District Collector sanctioned roads, electricity, telephone and water connection for her village. She later started a volunteer organization, Chalanam where she served as President. This organization aims at school education for kids, health awareness among people and training programs for women. It also established small-scale manufacturing unit, library and youth club for women of educationally backward village of Vellilakkadu. She was a part of “Akshaya” project that made 'Malappuram the first E-Literate district in India.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 08, 2014
