Kozhikode: Seek and you shall find! A young Italian woman of Indian origin did so and located her mother. Thus Navya Sofia Dorigatti, 35, finally had her wish fulfilled. The Italian national's mother had abandoned her at an orphanage in Kerala's Kozhikode district 35 years ago soon after she was born.
Navya had begun her search for her mother nine years ago. Though she landed in Wayanad in search of her roots, she had to return empty handed. But Navya was not ready to let go of her mission, took to social media for further enquires. A civil police officer (CPO), Rijesh Pramod, of the Chevayoor police station also tagged along with Navya on her mission to find her mother.
Navya is yet to meet her mother, but spoke with her on phone, who is living in the neighbouring Wayanad district with her husband and children born to him.
I concluded my phone conversation with my mother after giving her an assurance that she would never create any trouble for her, Navya said.
"If the world comes to know that my mother had a child before her wedding, it would only cause her hardships. I understand that. I would soon come to Kerala. Not to see my mother. But to meet those who helped me find her," Navya added.
35 years ago…
Navya was born at the orphanage at Kozhikode on March 31, 1984. The mother, however, placed the newborn under the orphanage's care and left. Navya was brought up at the orphanage's another branch at Wayanad till she was two years old.
Little Navya became an Italian citizen and grew up in the European country after Italian couple Italian couple Silvano Dorigatti and Thisiyana who had arrived in Wayanad adopted her.
However, as she grew older, Navya realised that she had not inherited the fair complexion of her parents. The nine-year-old put forth the query, prompting her adopted parents to tell her how she became their daughter.
The Wayanad orphanage still cared for Navya, and letters, seeking details of her well-being, used to arrive in Italy. Navya conducted her enquiries based on these letters and arrived in Wayanad nine years ago.
But all the information she could find was the date of births of her mother and grandmother. The orphanage authorities had limitations over giving out more details.
Navya, who lives in the Italian town of Trento in northern Italy with her husband and two daughters, renewed her mission through social media this July. She put up a small video comprising a brief post about herself and photos from childhood. The video was also posted in the groups of Malayali communities. CPO Rijesh, who came across this, decided to help Navya.
He conducted an enquiry at the orphanages in Kozhikode and found Navya's mother. He also provided an opportunity for Navya to speak with her mother.
Navya had planned to take her mother to Italy if she had been in a state despair. However, she changed her mind after she came to know that the mother was leading a satisfactory family life in Kerala.
