Unsung Heroes: A pen empowers even a burnt hand

When Abid lost his hands to the flames, it was the pen that empowered him to pursue his dreams

KARACHI: Inspired by Stephen Hawking, Abid Hussain Lashari believed in concentrating on things his disability did not prevent him from doing well. The 38-year-old, who belongs to a small village in district Benazirabad, lost both his hands to a house fire as an infant. But as fate would have it, his perseverance led him to founding the National Disability and Development Forum (NDF), which serves as a sanctuary for many like him.”My parents were convinced that I could never write, but I owe it to my primary school teacher, Mr Bachal, who never gave up on me,” he said, recalling his school days. “I have four twisted fingers in my right hand, but my teacher trained me how to hold a pen with the help of my left arm,” he added.

Equipped with the power of a pen, Lashari was unstoppable. After his master’s degree, the youth joined the workforce as a journalist and worked for several years as a district reporter for various dailies. However, his passion for giving back to society led him to a local NGO by the name of Sind Disabled Welfare Organisation (SDWO), which he joined as a volunteer in 1999 and soon rose to the position of the organisation’s secretary-general.

Pakistan's unsung heroes: The silent crusaders

With the zeal to do more, Lashari later founded his own organisation - National Disability and Development Forum (NDF) - in 2005, in his hometown of present-day district Benazirabad. Out of the numerous feathers in Lashari’s cap, he’s also a member of Sindh Government’s Provincial Advisory Council for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and a recipient of several national as well as international awards and commendations for his services.



When asked about his choice to base NDF in his village, Lashari said that he prefers working in rural areas, which are home to 70% of Pakistan’s disabled population and yet, unlike urban centres, have no access to healthcare, education, employment and mobility. NDF currently caters to a batch of around 200 children who’re enrolled at the organisation, which also runs a rehab centre and an Early Child Education Program (ECEP). Lashari believes many disabilities like Cerebral palsy are recoverable, provided the child has access to treatment.

“We essentially teach these children life skills through physiotherapy, psychotherapy, speech therapy, and muscle exercises for cerebral palsy,” Lashari told The Express Tribune.

Speaking of his journey, Lashari said that finding and setting up NDF has been a learning experience. “When we started off, there was a lot I did not know about core training and therapies for disabled persons, but I recalled my own experiences and also came across great resources on the internet.”

State recognition for unsung hero, at last

It was during a capacity building programme for NDF when Lashari approached a Finland based organisation for the rights of disabled persons in developing countries. After months of correspondence and a few meetings, NDF managed to secure partnered projects with the international NGO, which helped Lashari’s organisation reach new heights. “Working with foreign NGOs was a tremendous opportunity to learn about international standards of treatment for dealing with physically as well as mentally disabled persons.”

Lashari shared how locally, mental illnesses are often exempted from proper psychological or psychiatric treatment and rather left to the miracle works of shrines and darbaars.

“With the help of Government of Sindh and Planning And Development Board’s community development programmes, we had previously launched a project focusing on the issue at an estimated cost of Rs24 million in 2018,” Lashari informed. “Now, we’ve acquired a building on rent, purchased the necessary equipment and have been trying to mobilise people to seek proper treatment for mental illnesses,” he added. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2019.