Balkh’s blind people seek treatment, job opportunities

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): A number of blind people in northern Balkh province say most of them could recover if treated, calling on the caretaker government and international aid institutions to assist them.

October 15 National White Cane Awareness Day was marked in the province and was attended by government officials and a large number of visually impaired people.

The blind people expressed their concern about lack of access to education, health services and employment opportunities. They asked the concerned officials to address their problems.

Syed Mohammad Yazdanparast, a member of the disabled people's network in the province, said more than 1.5 million people were blind or have vision problems in Afghanistan based on figures with the international community.

He added most of them were capable of treatment and urged government and partner institutions to assist them in their rehabilitation.

He also called the lack of professional teachers, teaching equipment and a standard building for their school as main challenges they were facing today.

Haroon Hakimi, another blind person in the provincial capital and a master’s degree holder, also complained about lack of opportunities for blind people.

He said most disabled people were able to work and the government should help them in the employment sector in addition to other fields.

Meanwhile, Martyrs and Disabled Affairs Director Jan Mohammad Hikmat renewed his department's support to the disabled people.

He added monthly stipends were being given to 4,300 disabled people, including 380 blind people, in the province by his department.

According to the information of the Disabled People's Network in Balkh, as many as 13,000 people in the province are suffering from vision problems and about 5,000 people are totally blind.

kk/ma