Trisha Rao

Feature Cover Story
Trisha shares her books with refugee children in Istanbul.
“The Syrian refugee children
are going through a very
tough time, and they need
to hear a message of hope.”
Believe in Yourself was launched in Turkey, where
Rao recently had the opportunity to meet Syrian
refugee children currently living in Istanbul and read
her book to them. She says the face-to-face encounters
she had with these fellow children who have been
through so much during their short lives made a lasting
impression on her. “It was an amazing experience to
meet the refugee children,” she says. “I was sad that they
lost their homes, homelands, and families.”
What particularly impressed Rao were the upbeat
attitudes her peers possessed despite the ordeals
they’ve faced. “They taught me that you can be
positive in difficult times and have hope and believe
in yourself,” she says. “While these kids had lost so
much, they were still positive and playful. It made me
feel grateful for the things that I have in my life, like a
home and my family.”
The refugee children have embraced Rao’s
encouraging message so much that the Istanbul
Centre for Support to Life has begun translating Rao’s
book into Arabic so they’ll be able to read it in their
own language. Believe in Yourself has also received high
praise from reviewers and earned Rao a 2016 gold
medal from the Independent Publishers (IPPY) Book
Awards for Best Children’s eBook.
In an effort to get Believe in Yourself into the hands
of as many children as possible, Rao and her family
have pledged to donate a copy of the book to a refugee
child for every copy sold. This isn’t the first time Rao’s
talents have been put to use in support of a good
cause. When India’s Andhra Pradesh was severely
flooded in 2009, Rao’s paintings were made into
greeting cards which were then sold and the proceeds
donated towards scholarships for the children affected
by the disaster.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Rao is already looking
ahead to what’s next. “I’m working on writing my
second book,” she says. “It will take a while, but I know
it will be an exciting story.” Rao is too young to have
any concrete career plans just yet, but the future looks
bright for this gifted young girl with a big heart and so
many reasons to believe in herself. “I want to be many
things when I grow up,” she says. “I want to paint and
write more and be happy.”
To purchase a copy of Believe in Yourself, contact
Sumana Rao at trishabooks@gmail.com. The book
is also available at Amazon.com. •
6 Story Monsters Ink | June 2016 | StoryMonstersInk.com