Openly Dancing

Nasir Durani is the president of an indigenous Afghan/American Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Afghanistan named The Afghan Center.  Upon completing a recent wheelchair distribution in Kabul, Nasir filed a report, which read in part:

Kabul – Wednesday, June 25, 2003 – The capital of Afghanistan was a scene of emotions and jubilation as it witnessed the distribution of brand new wheelchairs to 240 disabled people. Many had lost both legs as a result of amputation for shrapnel wounds. Their conditions were primarily caused by land mines, grenade explosions or polio.  The Wheelchairs were donated by The Wheelchair Foundation and the Seton Institute of Redwood City, California, and were distributed in Afghanistan by he Afghan Center.

Today, Afghan Television reported in its 7:00 pm prime time news: “The only way I can describe Kabul today is a grateful city.  Our disabled sisters and brothers heard that for the first time, an Afghan/American NGO, the Afghan Center, in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation and the Seton Institute, and the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled of the Transitional Islamic Government of Afghanistan, distributed wheelchairs in one of Kabul’s largest humanitarian assistance efforts, freeing 240 individuals and their families from imminent danger of total paralysis and confinement to their beds.”

Mothers, brothers, sisters and neighbors accompanied their disabled loved ones, all becoming overwhelmed with jubilant emotions and crying out with joy and happiness.  Tears were raining down their sunburned and freckled cheeks.

According to the UN and the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, there are 24,000 disabled individuals registered with the two organizations.  Over 1,000 of these people from all walks of life, ethnicity and gender attended with their friends and relatives at their side. They came from across the capital, from as far away as Paghman, 25kn West of Kabul, on whatever modes of transportation they could find, including mules and donkeys.

Working with district representatives, the Afghan Center identified 240 of the most qualified disabled persons in the area.  The crowd was overwhelmed by feelings and emotions when some 25 women and children were carried to the distribution site, and once settled into their wheelchairs, their facial expression and emotions could only be described as giving a person a second chance to live.

Despite Afghan cultural constraints forbidding girls and women from expressing their feelings in public, the recipients could not refrain from dancing openly.  Their eyes brightened and, along with hundreds in the audience, they started moving their hands and started dancing.  Words cannot possibly capture the true picture and emotion of the scene.

Since my arrival in Kabul 2 weeks ago, I have been watching a 19-year-old boy named Najib who lives next to our local office.  He has been confined to his bed for the past year and a half from an accident.  This morning the bed was folded and there was no sign of Najib.  Looking out from the second floor window of the office, we noticed a large crowd outside.  Najib was the center of attention; he was the hero.  He was proudly briefing children on the operation of his new wheelchair.  He was surrounded by dozens of curious children asking him how he felt and touching his wheelchair.  He said, “I do not want to go home.  I want to go to the shop down the street, and school and play outside, to feel the outside air.”

The Wheelchair Foundation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and The Knights of Columbus are currently sponsoring 5,000 wheelchairs to the disabled citizens of Afghanistan.  In conjunction with the United States Department of Defense, and the United States Department of State, these wheelchairs are being transported and distributed in Afghanistan by various NGO’s currently working with the disabled population.  Wheelchair Foundation founder Ken Behring and an delegation of dignitaries will be traveling to Afghanistan in September of this year to take part in wheelchair distributions in and around Kabul.  An additional 5,000 wheelchairs are scheduled to follow shortly thereafter.