Healthy Children – A Brighter Future
A story of the efforts and determination of 24-year-old Bilal Ahmad, a resident of Shamram village in Alishang District, Laghman Province.
Laghman, Afghanistan – It is seven o’clock in the morning. On the wall of a dusty alley in Shamram village, a banner hangs: “Polio Vaccination Site.”
Together with two of his colleagues, 24-year-old Bilal Ahmad stands in front of the banner. Carefully, he opens the vaccine carrier box, checks the vials, and verifies the coldness of the ice packs.
Their mission is clear: not a single child should be left unvaccinated.
The first group of children — three siblings, a boy and two girls between two and four years old — arrive together with their father. After greeting and welcoming them, Bilal opens a vial and gently puts two drops of the vaccine into each child’s mouth, then marks their small fingers with a marker.
The children, delighted, gaze intently at their freshly marked fingers. Their father thanks Bilal and his colleagues before heading home with his children.
A moment later, an elderly woman arrives carrying a small child in her arms. With concern, she asks: “My grandchild is so little, will the vaccine harm him?”
Bilal responds in a simple yet respectful tone: “The polio vaccine is given to all children from birth up to the age of five. It strengthens their immunity and protects them from lifelong paralysis.”
The woman becomes reassured and prepares her grandchild for vaccination. As usual, Bilal places two drops of the polio vaccine into the child’s mouth, while one of his colleagues marks the child’s little finger with a marker.
Bilal Ahmad administers the polio vaccine to a young girl in Shamram village, Alishang District of Laghman Province © Polio Free Afghanistan / 2025
Time passes slowly, but Bilal and his team do not get tired. Groups of children arrive with their fathers and other elders of the family, and they warmly administer the vaccine to each child.
From time to time, one of the team members repeats an announcement through a loudspeaker: “Dear parents! The polio vaccination team has arrived in your area. Please bring all of your children under the age of five — whether newborn, asleep, or visiting — to receive the vaccine.”
Some parents have questions, some ask about the benefits of repeated vaccination, while others raise concerns about its safety and effectiveness. Bilal answers each one with patience and respect.
Bilal Ahmad marks a child’s finger after vaccination © Polio Free Afghanistan / 2025
By the end of the day, the result of the team’s work is clear: dozens of children have been vaccinated and safeguarded from the threat of the poliovirus.
Together with his team, Bilal carefully checks the last names on the list for added assurance. He then gathers the banner and other materials as they prepare to head home. As he walks away, he repeats to himself: “Healthy children — a brighter future.”
Tomorrow, Bilal and his colleagues will once more arrive early at the same place, determined to make sure the polio vaccine reaches every last child in the village.
This young volunteer in Shamram village is strengthening the chain of trust every day. He is not only a vaccinator, but also a messenger of reassurance for his community, a representative working to protect society from the scourge of polio.
