Polio Victim: My Dream for Higher Education Did Not Bear Fruit
Saeed Zabulai
Helmand, Afghanistan – Roshan Ahmad, 33, a resident of Lashkargah City in Helmand province, is a polio victim, whose both legs were paralyzed at the age of six months.
Having completed his primary education despite great difficulty, he states that he can no longer pursue further studies due to his polio-induced disability and poor economic situation.
Roshan Ahmed, his face reflecting the hardships of his life, added: “Polio has profoundly affected me. I am disabled in both legs, which has led to financial hardship. I am unable to pursue higher education or find a job.”
He recounts that while he doesn’t remember it himself, his mother told him that he became seriously ill and developed a fever six months into his life. Later, both of his legs became paralyzed.
With great longing, he expressed, “My childhood was filled with regrets. Being disabled in both legs, unable to walk without a cane, and unable to play with peers, what joy have I experienced in life?”
He says that despite these challenges, he had assured himself that he would not stop his studies under any circumstances but would graduate from school and then study medicine to become a doctor and serve the community alongside the disabled.
But he said with great disappointment, “Unfortunately, this dream remained incomplete, and my dream for higher education did not bear fruit.”
According to Roshan Ahmad, after graduating from the twelfth grade, he could not pursue higher education due to his family’s poor economic situation. His father, who is old and gray-haired, can barely provide for food.
He added that he tried hard to find a job to improve the family’s financial situation and continue his studies, but unfortunately, he could not find employment.
He believes that the source of all the hardships in his life is the poliovirus. Had he been vaccinated during his childhood; he would not have contracted polio and would not have become a burden on his family and society.
Roshan Ahmad says that the source of all the hardships in his life is the poliovirus. Had he been vaccinated during his childhood; he would not have contracted polio and would not have become a burden on his family and society. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/Saeed Zabulai
Reflecting on the hardships he has faced; he urges all parents not to be negligent and to ensure timely vaccination for their children. This, he emphasizes, can prevent them from suffering the same fate as him, sparing them from the devastation of polio
Roshan Ahmad’s classmate, Ahmad Shah, mentioned that his friend Roshan Ahmad attended school with the assistance of his walking canes for twelve years. Despite the challenges, Roshan was never absent and wanted to pursue higher education to become a doctor.
He says that all his classmates held a special place for him in their hearts. During meetings and gatherings, they would urge people to vaccinate their children, aiming to prevent them from suffering the same fate as him.
In a war-torn country like Afghanistan, where many areas were inaccessible to polio vaccination volunteers due to insecurity, the roots of this disease were widespread. Now that the polio vaccination campaign has reached every region of the country, a significant opportunity has emerged to eradicate this disease.
Dr. Abdullah Khan Sayal emphasizes that polio is a disease that causes permanent paralysis in children. While the disease has been eradicated through vaccination in most parts of the world, including Islamic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan still struggle in this area. He stresses that it is our religious responsibility to protect our children from polio.
In his message to families, he emphasizes that polio has no cure and can only be eradicated through vaccination. Let’s unite to eradicate polio from Afghanistan and the rest of the world!
