Young cobbler hopes to perform medical miracles

Usman secured third position in matriculation exams in the district

FAISALABAD: Residing in Sahiwal’s small village of Kot Deval Mal, life of 19-year-old Muhammad Usman has been riddled with problems since his childhood.

At an age when teenagers vie to become a successful person and live life to the fullest, he mends shoes to share the financial burden of his family. Although, his father works both as a cobbler and a farmer, still he hardly manages to earn a meagre Rs6,000 monthly.



Besides being a hard working person, Muhammad Usman has proved to be an intelligent student and secured third position in board exams across the district.  He wishes to become a doctor one day and serve the ailing humanity.



Despite facing poverty, the teenager is committed to excel and achieve his dreams.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Muhammad Usman said, “I am poor but I will become a physician one day.” He added, “I don't intend to be a rich person like others after attaining a medical degree but I want to serve the poor community as I belong to the most underprivileged class of society.”

“Most people die due to lack of resources for treatment and face a number of health issues only because of poverty,” he lamented.

He maintained, “I secured 1022 marks out of 1100 in 10th grade which has increased my hopes of becoming a doctor. But I don’t have enough resources to continue my studies.”

He said his father Muhammad Murad is a daily wage worker and has a passion to educate his children. “I have two siblings and both are working on wages while my mother is a labourer.” He pointed out that all members of his family work day and night but still they are not able to make ends meet.



Usman elaborated that he is fond of studying but financial constraints forced him to take a job in a shoe factory. “While considering my passion for studies, my father got me admitted to a government school on condition that I will continue to work after school timings,” he said.

“Later, he asked me to work with him at his roadside shoe repair shop. I was supposed to give up education but I continued despite all hardships,” he commented. “My interest in education raised my enthusiasm when I achieved distinctions in my secondary exams”.

Muhammad Usman told The Express Tribune that when people came to know about his achievements, they started discouraging him and said, “I will remain a cobbler despite studying hard.”  He appreciated the efforts of his school teachers, who helped him in continuing his studies.

“I want to take admission in pre-medical but I do not have enough resources to finance my studies,” he remarked.



“Although, I know it is not possible for me to afford the expenses to acquire a medical degree but I hope one day my dream will become a reality,” he said.

When contacted, School Headmaster Muhammad Zamim Shah Shirazi told The Express Tribune, “Usman is living in extreme poverty. Sometimes he and his family do not have enough money to afford one time meal.”

He added, “If Usman had the resources, he would have secured first position in board exams.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2017.