Not stopping until every last child is protected
Logar, Afghanistan – With a polio vaccine carrier slung over his shoulder, Mohammad Hakim Tamim stands alongside his team at a vaccination site in the village of Zahid Abad, Mohammad Agha District, waiting for children to arrive. His thoughts, however, keep returning to the image of ten-year-old Ahmad, sitting in a wheelchair outside his home and watching other children play with quiet longing.
Mohammad Hakim is 30 years old and has been working as a volunteer in polio vaccination campaigns for the past nine years.
During each campaign, he vaccinates children at designated sites in his community, places where parents bring their children with hope for a safer future. For him, this work is not merely a job; it is a commitment that renews his conscience every day.
He still recalls a day from his early months as a volunteer, when he went to Ahmad’s home to administer the vaccine. Ahmad, whose legs had been paralyzed by polio, was sitting in a wheelchair outside his house, watching children play in the alley. His younger brother stood beside him, and it was his turn to be vaccinated. Mohammad Hakim gave him the polio vaccine drops.
Ahmad’s father remained silent during the vaccination. A moment later, however, he broke the silence and spoke in an agonized tone: “We had heard that the polio vaccine was harmful. We believed it without question and did not vaccinate Ahmad. Now, every morning I wake up, I pay the price for my negligence. When I look at my son’s paralyzed legs as he sits in a wheelchair, unable to move, the sight causes me deep pain.”
Mohammad Hakim Tamim administers polio vaccine drops to a child in Zahid Abad village, Mohammad Agha District. © Polio Free Afghanistan / 2026
The area outside the house grew quiet, and that silence spoke volumes to Mohammad Hakim.
That same day, he also encountered another father, a man whose lined face told a story of years of pain.
The father said that his daughter had lost the ability to walk and function because of polio. She could no longer go to school or play with other children, and each day passed under the shadow of constant limitations.
The girl’s father paused, as if he no longer had the strength to finish his sentences. Then he spoke softly: “At the time, I did not understand how valuable the vaccine was, but now I do. If I had not believed the rumors back then, my daughter’s life might have been different today.”
These experiences had a clear message for Mohammad Hakim: awareness that comes late is still valuable, and every vaccine has the power to change a family’s future.
“Every time I think about the condition of these children,” he says, “I tell myself that I must not stop. I must continue this responsibility so that no other mother or father has to experience this pain.”
Polio is a viral disease that primarily affects children under the age of five. There is no cure for the disease, but it can be prevented through vaccination.
During a polio vaccination campaign © Polio Free Afghanistan, 2026
If a child is not vaccinated on time and during every round of a campaign, they may contract polio and face paralysis and disability for the rest of their life. Despite this, misinformation, rumors, and mistrust have caused some children to miss out on vaccination.
Mohammad Hakim says that many families were once hesitant, but over time, as a result of sustained efforts by him and his colleagues, that atmosphere gradually began to change.
Today, in many parts of Mohammad Agha District, parents now come to vaccination sites on their own. They ask questions, seek information, and even encourage others to bring their children as well.
This change is not accidental. It is the result of years of patience, honesty, and trust-building. It is seen in the moments when a mother or father holds a child’s hand, smiles, and says with confidence, “Please vaccinate my child.”
For Mohammad Hakim and his colleagues, this is the reward for all their exhaustion. “That is when I know our efforts have not been in vain,” he says.
Today, Mohammad Hakim is no longer just a volunteer. He is the voice of children whose voices have yet to be heard, and a representative of parents who want to protect their children from the pain they witness.
Until the very last child is vaccinated, volunteers like Mohammad Hakim will continue to stand at every vaccination site, ensuring that every child has a chance at a healthy, safe, and active future.
