Good health is a blessing!

“I felt pain in my throat when I ate food and took breathe and because of that I could not sleep well at night. I was also not able to speak properly.” said Sakina, 11, a student of the third grade in one of the districts of Herat city.

Sakina says that math is her favourite subject at school – perhaps because it does not require her to speak a lot.

She was suffering from inflammation of the tonsil for few years.  At first the pain was mild, but for the last three years she was suffering from a severe pain. Sadly, the family could not afford her treatment. “Sakina did not enjoy any delicious food because she would feel pain when the food would touch her throat. We could not afford taking her to a hospital to have her tonsil surgery,” said Sakina’s father, Rozudin, 67.

Rozudin is a famer. He hardly can feed his 12-member family. The products he receives from his farm isn’t enough for the family. He explained that they did not have a fruitful harvest last year. But this year, they are happier for the land gave.

When Sakina was born, she was a weak child with a slow growth.

With her age, her pain would increase as well. As she was not able to speak properly, the parents thought she has a speech disorder.

Their village does not have any clinic. They must ride donkeys for three hours to reach the closest clinic. Rarely they can find a vehicle which could offer them a drive. Even with all challenges of transportation, Rozudin took her to the clinic several times. She was given medicine, but it was not relieving her pain.

When she was crying out of pain, her parents would tell her that they plan to take her to hospital the next day or the next week, but they knew that they wouldn’t be able to meet their promise because they could not afford. Sometimes, her mother could not bear her daughter’s pain and would tell her the truth, “What can I do! We cannot afford taking you to hospital, and no one lends us money,” Sakina remembered those words. And she suffered to hear promises without getting medical support for three years.

To ensure children like Sakina are treated well and have access to health services, World Vision, under Afghanistan Crisis Appeal Project funded by Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), reaches their village. She was registered as one of the most vulnerable children to get access to so much needed health services.

“This organization [World Vision] came and wrote my name on their papers. After a while, they called and told us to see them. They facilitated my surgery and hospitalised me for two days,” remembers Sakina, “Now, I can enjoy any kind of food; I can speak properly and am relieved from the pain. I am so happy for it.”

Before when she had a ‘fight’ with other children, they would offend her because of her speech disorder. “Now, no one can say that I can’t speak properly,” she appreciated, “Good health is a blessing! I am grateful to World Vision for supporting me in my tonsil operation,”

“Now, my daughter can read her lessons. God blessed us with sending this organisation to our village. World Vision made a big difference in Sakina’s life; she can speak properly and can enjoy the test of food,” said Rozudin.