The Gift of Mobility

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Thanks to support and coordination from World Vision Pakistan, two young girls, 12 and 13 years old respectively, were able to receive wheelchairs, provided by a government institution. The girls’ access to the chairs was made possible because of a well-informed and well-organized community-based organisation, equipped to advocate on behalf of those in need within their community.

Nimra Arif, 12, and Nimra Zaheer, 13, have both been physically disabled since birth. Taking care of a child with a disability is hard enough. But, to take care of a child with a disability in a family that is already unable to provide for their own basic needs is not only difficult, it adds a layer of mental stress which affects every member of the family.


“I have five other children [in addition to Nimra] and [I] can hardly provide food for my family,” said Mr. Zaheer.

 Nimra Zaheer’s father has no permanent job or regular means of income. He works as a labourer earning around 6,000 PKR (just under $60 USD) a month which he has to stretch to provide food to his eight-member family as well as use to provide for their other basic needs.

 

“I have five other children [in addition to Nimra] and [I] can hardly provide food for my family,” said Mr. Zaheer, noting that he lacks the financial resources necessary to even send his other kids to school. “I also have dream in my eyes, to see my children [achieve] a respectable position in the society, where they can get every thing they want. But, I am failing to give them a better education,” he says, his eyes filled with tears.

Recently, World Vision helped the Social Welfare Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Peshawar Uplift Programme organise an event to distribute wheelchairs, tricycles and white canes among the disabled and blind people of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. World Vision Pakistan sponsored the event attended by people from all walks of life. The girls’ families learned of the event through the community-based organisation in their community which World Vision helped to form.


“I got my new car mom”, Nimra shouted loudly

These wheelchairs mean everything to the girls and their families. This gift helps them to bring ease and comfort in their life, which they have never been experienced before. “I got my new car mom”, Nimra shouted loudly when her mother put her on the wheelchair.  The families of these girls feel that after these gifts, they will free them to be able to concentrate efforts on their other kids as well and enable them to work more for the betterment of their families.

Both the girls and their families were happy to have received wheelchairs and thanked all those who made it possible for them. “We [have] suffered lot,” said Mr. Zaheer. “Our daughter suffered more than us,” he added.


We [have] suffered lot,” said Mr. Zaheer. “Our daughter suffered more than us,” he added.

And, they were grateful to World Vision Pakistan for providing a new direction to the scattered communities by teaching them how to work for the marginalized people in their communities.

The families who are barely able to survive could never dream of purchasing a wheelchair for their daughters as the price for one is around 15000 PKR (roughly $150 USD).