Security lapse - Letter published in Daily Times 30 December 2011

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\12\30\story_30-12-2011_pg3_7

Meeting with Rashid Ahmed...

A few days back I happen to meet this interesting personality in my office. The odd thing was I had to interview this guy and which I did with pleasure. He was decent, calm and passionate about his work. He carried a vast experience in his work and I felt proud to take an interview of such a personality. He showed me some of his designs and they were really impressive. I kept one of his calendar that he designed for his company. Every month had a picture of a child to whom his company is providing education with minimal charges. This was a very inspiring act and I got very impressed. The school lays its ground in different areas of Sindh distributing quality education to those who dream to study and want to be a shining star one day.

Mere Dunya Ke Rung ~~

Today, I happened to attend an event organised by a NGO to celebrate the International Disability Day. The event was to celebrate their creative talents through an art competition. Children with different disabilities were supposed to paint and colour what they had in their mind. Considering it a platform where they can showcase their hidden talents the children did a vivid job.

In the modern society, disable people often get ignored. I know a lot of eye brows must have risen when I say that but accept it this is true. I have had this experience many times in public places as well as homes. But we need to understand that they are also a part of the society and they are no less capable than normal.

Well the event kicked off with a workshop organised by the students of Indus Valley. It was a win-win situation for all where every child gets to paint what they wanted to. They were not monitored or judged, they did whatever they wanted to paint. Soon after the workshop ended the real game began. An art competition which held among 200 children coming from 24 different school and academies competed with best of their abilities and potential.

The children were gathered here to express what they bear in their mind. The children were of different abilities. Some of them were hearing impaired, some were physically disabled and others bearing some kind of disability. The only way all of them could express their feelings under one roof was through paints and colours.

When the competition ended, I was astonished by the paintings that those children had made. Amongst one of the paintings that children drew one of them had some tanks that were firing on walls. Upon further look on the painting I figured out that a child had painted the recent NATO attack on Pakistani soldiers. I was taken aback with the thinking of the child and thought the child must be so sensitive.  

Other paintings included nature, houses, animals and flowers. The children were very enthusiastic and I could not find their talent any different from the normal children. They could paint well they could smile graciously they could play and do almost all those things that a normal child does.

At the end of the event several performances were performed by hearing impaired children aged 10 - 15 and if one does not know that they are hearing impaired one would never guess it. The way they performed was outstanding. Every child in the audience loved the performance and applauded it cheerfully.

The event was managed brilliantly by a group of volunteers who were from different universities. They were there to support the special children and the hard work resulted in a success of the event. All things went fine and event concluded with a positive note that such events should happen on a regular base to encourage those children and to highlight the potential and ability of those children.

In the end I would relate a sentence I once heard in a workshop, it goes like" We Need to take the Dis out of Ability”.  Yes that’s we all need to do and I wish we all could understand this sentence and start implementing on it.