(MENAFN- Afghanistan Times) Mujeeb R. Awrang
KABUL: Thousands of Afghans have been disabled during over four
decades of conflicts in Afghanistan. The longest violence has directly and
indirectly inflicted sever impairment on people with some of them with no eyes,
no hands, no legs and also hearing problems — while several others of them incapacitated
due to lack of access to the medical facilities. Many cases of structural birth
defect, spina bifida, cleft palate, clubfoot, and congenital dislocated hip
registered in the country, as the health officials have been struggling to
provide medical facilities due to prolonged instability in Afghanistan.
About 70 of disabled people had showcased their handicrafts
in an exhibition held on Monday in capital Kabul. The disables included men and
women, who laid on their handmade crafts on tables under a large tent in MDC, a
demining organization. The exhibition has been organized for two days.
The organizer, Zakirullah Hemat, said the advertisement was
aimed to draw government and aid organizations' attention to the disabled
people. 'I am suffering from disability. Since past 14 years, I have been
fighting for the rights of disabled people.'
Citing the lack of market for the handicrafts, Hemat said, 'These
disables are staying at home and make handicrafts, so we trying to coordinate
them with other people who work at this field, aiming to find a good market for
their products.'
He called on the government to provide marketing facilities for
the disables, where they can exhibit their products. 'The government has not provided enough job
opportunity for the disables.'
A member of the exhibition, Latifa said that she was happy
with holding such exhibition, where she can showcase her handmade crafts for
sell. 'I can do handmade industries but don't have good economy to find market
for it.'
She expressed criticism about government's lack of attention
to the disabled people and said, 'I have gone 12 years of school with my
wheelchair but now I can't go to the University because of transportation's
problems.' The handicrafts included jewelries, clothes and curtains.
'I come here to see the handicraft made by disable people.
They are struggling with a lot of challenges, hope the government and other
organizations help them,' Milad, a visitor said.
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