M I L E S T O N E
Society for the Special Persons ®
Earthquake on 8th of October 2005 played havoc in whole Pakistan especially in Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas. Many of the beautiful green valleys have turned into graveyard.
The homes, Schools, Public buildings and places have lost there signs. Most of the people are dead and those survived are dying daily. Some got Spinal Injuries, some lost their legs and hands but a number of people lost their families. In this scenario “Milestone Society for the Special Persons” already visited destroyed Azad Kashmir valley and distributed required daily items and medicine on 11th of October.
In its second tour the society visited Northern Areas including Abbotabad, Thandyani, Pattan Kalan and Pattan Khurd villages and distributed daily items and medicine among the effected victims.
Then the Society made its third visit in this connection as the World Bank called the society members to visit the newly disabled children, women and men that had been accommodated by the World Bank in Islamabad. The members of the Milestone Society (Mr. Shafiq, Mr. Akmal, Mr.Ashar) visited National Institute of Special Education Islamabad on 25th of October, during the visit these members met different earthquake victims there and the newly got disabled persons including children, women and men that were being treated there. The society members encouraged and empowered the victims and made them learn to face life and accept it with all its realities how bitter they may be. The Technical Advisor of the World Bank Miss Susan Hirshberg requested the society members to arrange 5 wheelchairs and crutches for the earthquake victims who need them on urgent basis because the wheelchairs available there in the institution does not suit these victims. The Milestone Society were full of passions and devotion to help the poor homeless people who have lost all their hopes, all their dreams for a better life have been shattered, they have eyes but they are Vacant stares, they have legs but lost their way, they have no way to go, no shoulder is there for them to cry on. So with this thought of helping these effected people Milestone society members came back Lahore and arranged the required 5 wheelchairs and crutches. Without wasting time the six members of the society including one from Islamabad (Mr. Asim, Mr. Ashar, Mr. At if, Mr. Hamid, Ms. Fahmina, Mr. Zahid) with the mission to infuse a fresh spirit of life into these people started their journey at 12:00 am at night. They had 5 wheelchairs and crutches to distribute among the earthquake victims who had lost their legs because of heavy debris; the weather was cold but not the courage. Early at morning the members reached Islamabad after getting fresh the members visited NISE (National Institute of Special Education) to distribute wheelchairs and empower the earthquake victims there. At first the members met doctor and Miss Susan Hirshberg and they made the members visit the victims, seeing disabled among them was very encouraging for the victims there, they could not just imagine that the disabled people could move easily and when they got to know that these disabled people have come to help and empower them from Lahore it was like infusing a fresh spirit of life into them.
The members visited every earthquake victim there and empowered them, they made them learn to live life accepting their disabilities, life does not depend on legs or hands, life is to live, these words made their faces smile and they thanked the members for providing them with a shoulder to cry on.
After visiting the victims the members went to the victims who need wheelchair. Those victims were having wheelchairs but they did not suit their needs, they could not use them with ease, so it was the reason that they thought is better to resort to their beds or in their mother’s laps. The Milestone Society members distributed 5 wheelchairs among 5 earthquake needy victims mostly children. The accessible wheelchair that is quite easy to use was like a toy for them, by using it their faces got fresh and smiley as if someone had given their movement back to them. They got life because they could move now, they were free like a bird to move wherever they want.
The smiling faces of these children made the members more enthusiastic and somehow satisfied to help further. After distributing the wheelchairs these members got to know that a 16 years old girl got Spinal Injury and she is admitted to Al-Shifa International Hospital, it’s the next building to the NISE building. Without wasting a single moment these members moved to this Hospital and met that girl with Spinal Cord Injury.
The Plight of this girl was quite miserable; she had stopped eating and talking. Her mother told that she had lost all interests in life, she is as a dead body, But the Milestone Society members with sharing their valuable experiences and knowledge, made this girl quite at ease. The members gave her the knowledge and information about daily life, how to pass urine and stool, how to take bath, how the eat, when to eat, these were the basic informations that no one had given her, it was like giving her life back, hearing it the girl’s face got life, she promised to eat, she promised to live her life like others. She is accepting the realities of life that she has to live with this Spinal injury.
A lady doctor there told the Milestone Society members that there are four more Spinal Injury women admitted to Hospital so they must visit them too. Without wasting a single moment the members reached those ladies, they had the same fears like that girl. They had stopped eating and taking interest in life, they had no information about Spinal Injury but the members solved their problem, they let them know about the Spinal Injury. They shared their experiences and made them live Independently. It is so encouraging to mention here that a lady who was weeping the moment the members entered the room and is not less than a miracle that when she got information and observed the society members moving on wheelchairs and doing their jobs, she was smiling and saying that she is happy now, it is ready to face life. It was the moment that can never be forgotten, weeping eyes turned into smiling face. Then it was the time of Iftar, so the members moved to hotel to get Iftar, after that the members decided to visit Jinnah Stadium which is being used as hospital by the Interior Ministry and Capital Development Authority.
The members met the Doctor there, it was so encouraging that the Doctor there was very cooperative. The Milestone members told the Doctor the purpose of their visit, the doctor was impressed and admired the job done by the Milestone Society, he had good knowledge and understanding about the Independent Living because his own mother was Spinal Cord for last 42 years, he allowed the member to visit the victims and share their knowledge. The victims there were quite happy to find the disabled people with a valuable knowledge for them. The children there shared their experiences of the earthquake that how they faced the earthquake in their schools, they could not get moments to come out of their schools, and they were detained under heavy debris and were found and brought out after 2 days. Many of them lost their legs and hands. Most of them got head injuries, a little girl got head injury and doctor say that she cannot speak. The society members visited every victim and made them at ease, made them smile and gave them courage to face life with every condition.
The society members celebrated Birthday of a girl with head injury there and sang song for her. Many of the parents shared their grieves and reservations with the society members, the society members listened them and gave them the knowledge that they need. They were quite relax now that they spent lot of there time with Milestone members, they thanked the Milestone members for their knowledge and promised to live an Independent life without any fear of society’s attitude. They promised that they will go back to their lives with smiling faces and stout hearts and live it sitting in wheelchairs because everything is created by God the Almighty and he creates well. This is the start of the next step of our efforts.
In the first step which was short term we did the support of shelter , food and medicine.
The second step which is long term we are trying to make them rehabilitate. Until now what we did is in short is.
Visit for Kashmir the effected area 7 times.
Visited Islamabad different Hospitals and field hospitals to see Spinal code injury people 8 time.
This month November this tragedy is most busy month because snow fall is started from last week.
Very urgent and very important issue is that we did not found more two disabled persons until now, who had disability before earth quack and they could reached any hospital or a rehabilitation centre. The question is that were are now these disabled persons?
Are they all died?
Are they still waiting for help in broken homes on very high peaks?
Are they still hidden by families?
Are they survived and feeding by there families? But if they survived the millions of people living without homes in Tents but the disabled persons not in tents in field area……. Why? Are they still waiting for death in broken homes?
These are questions which we are going to use the resources to inquire them.
We are willing to have the more wheelchairs to the new disabled because when the will back to their home town then they can ask government for barrier free construction and also demonstrate for inclusive education. Its too big task and we want to make only the base. We believe that we can get the advantage from disadvantage.
Why we have this believe? That is your great help, your great efforts for mankind. Your loving attitude the disabled persons. Your great time which you people are spending for us, Your very precious money which you people are sending us.
I am personally responsible for the answering and inquiry for any thing for your donations. I really responsible for your trust. Thanks a lot. SHAFIQ