The Power of Commitment
The Efforts of Even a Single Member of Society Can Bring About Change
Parwan, Afghanistan – In the narrow lanes of Sardara village in Ghorband district, the voices of commitment echo. Abdullah Akbari, with a vaccine carrier by his side, gently administers polio drops into the mouth of a child. Beside him, one colleague records names on a list, while another announces through a loudspeaker:
“The polio vaccination team has arrived in your area. Please bring out your children to be vaccinated and protected from polio, the crippling and deadly disease.”
With each child he vaccinates, Abdullah feels as if he has saved the future of the community from disability.
For the past 22 years, he has stood on the front line of the fight against polio. In his area, he is seen not just as a volunteer, but has become a symbol of commitment, trust, and hope.
The Beginning of the Fight
Abdullah Akbari recalls the beginning of his long struggle: “I began working as a volunteer in polio vaccination campaigns at a time when people’s awareness about vaccines was very limited. Many families, misled by rumors and false information, refused to vaccinate their children. I decided to change the mindset of the people in my area.”
He went door to door, speaking with parents in collaboration with local leaders and religious scholars, using religious reasoning, health information, and his own personal experiences to persuade them.
Gradually, people’s attitudes began to shift, and as a result many families were convinced to vaccinate their children and protect them from the dangerous disease of polio.
Abdullah says that, with each child he vaccinates, he feels as if he has saved the future of the community from disability © Polio Free Afghanistan / 2025
The Pain of Personal Experience
Akbari has seen with his own eyes many children who were left permanently disabled, their strength stolen by polio.
“When a child is paralyzed because they weren’t vaccinated, I feel as if an entire generation has been paralyzed. That is the greatest pain for me,” he says.
That very pain has become the driving force in his fight. He has made a promise to himself that for as long as he is able, no child should be left without vaccination.
Community Trust
Over the years, Abdullah’s efforts have reshaped the atmosphere of trust within Sardara.
Mawlawi Abdul Samad, the imam of the village mosque, says: “Abdullah is our pride. He not only cares about children’s health but has shown people that vaccines are ‘drops of life.’ Now, people take every word he says to heart.”
The head of the health team also praises Abdullah’s role, saying: “Our team is successful because Abdullah is by our side. People trust him, and that trust is key to our success.”
Abdullah vaccinates children in Sardara village © Polio Free Afghanistan / 2025
Hope for the Future
Today, the fact that thousands of children in and around Sardara village remain healthy due to the polio vaccine is thanks to the tireless efforts of Abdullah Akbari and his colleagues.
“We are all responsible for ensuring our children’s healthy future,” Akbari says. “If I am a volunteer in the campaign, then you are the volunteers for your own children at home. Together, let us protect their future.”
The road to victory against polio is long, but heroes like Abdullah keep the hope alive that one day Afghanistan will be completely free from the threat of polio.
