Story Of A Handicap Child

By YesPakistan.com Staff Writer

Innocent children are the greatest casualties of poverty and ignorance. Nizamuddin, from the village Mina Bazar in Zhob, is a six year old boy who seemed fated for a lifetime of helplessness and hopelessness. Born mentally retarded and dumb as the son of a poor farmer, he was cast aside for most of his life. Excluded from local schools, neglected by fellow villagers, and ostracized by children of his age, Nizamuddin was never taught social etiquettes and became further and further estranged from mainstream society. Nevertheless, his father, Madad Khan, envisioned a better future for his son and relentlessly tried to enroll his son in every school of the area. He sensed sorrow in Nizamuddin’s eyes as he saw all the other children carrying on their normal lives.

Nizamuddin received his first real opportunity in life when HDF opened a child-friendly school in his village. The HDF teacher eagerly embraced the child as a challenge and began to polish this raw diamond. In a record time of three months, he is now able to write the English alphabet and communicate by actions. His personality has transformed from a complete outsider to a functional member of society. He wears tidy clothes, takes baths, and cleans his teeth every day. Even more important, he is able to differentiate good from bad, right from wrong. Now, despite his handicap, Nizamuddin is recognized for the intelligent and lovable child that he is.