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| A Computer Programmer |
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My name is Mansour Ahmad. I was born in
Afghanistan. I am one of the many young Afghans whose lives are full of
tragedies because of the presence of millions of landmines scattered throughout
the country. Mines have been planted everywhere—in farms, on public roads and in gardens and houses. I wondered how may of us would lose the Almighty’s greatest blessing in such a tragic way, so I thought it would be good for me to bring awareness among the children in the area. I told them not to be intrigued by strange items they see because it could be a mine. Only ten days after the tragic death of my mother, I found that the evil was not over. This time it was I who fell victim to the merciless violence of mines. One afternoon, I noticed some small pieces of iron behind the wall of our house. They never looked like mines to me. As my mother had always wanted our year kept clean, I went to remove the junk. The moment I picked up one of the pieces, there was a big bang and then absolute darkness. I was unconscious. In fact, it was a mine I had picked up. My grandmother, who saw all this happen, ran to me. She hugged me with my burning cloths. I was bleeding all over. To her I was dead. She called to arrange for the funeral. But the gracious and merciful almighty kept me alive. I awoke after a night’s unconsciousness. What happened to me? WHY CAN’T I SEE? WHERE ARE MY HANDS? WHY IS IT SO DARK? I suddenly asked all these questions but it was too late. What about my dreams, ambitions and hopes? I wanted to become a doctor. I wanted to treat poor people, vulnerable people. I wanted to serve my country. Instead, my family had to flee the war and migrated to Pakistan. For me this was the end. I spent most of the time in isolation. However, my family provided me great support. They arranged for my medical treatment and gradually I got back the vision in my right eye. I became even more determined and managed to finish my secondary education. I am proud to be one of the most productive members of society today.” |
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cyberschoolbus@un.org
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