Rab Nawaz lost one eye in an accident when he was young. In his village in Mian Chunnu, Pakistan, where poverty is rife, being unable to afford basic eye-care is a common reality. For much of his life, Nawaz got by with his one good eye. But years of hard work, poor health and old age eventually caught up with Nawaz, and he started to lose his eyesight completely.
By the time he was 65, Rab Nawaz wasn’t able to run his shop anymore. This being his only source of income, and his family’s livelihood, Nawaz was forced ask his son Shafeeq to leave school and take on the responsibility of sole breadwinner. It wasn't easy for Shafeeq or his father, who found it very difficult to cope with the physical and emotional consequences of blindness. Dependent on members of his family for his most basic daily needs, Rab Nawaz felt hopeless.
As a last resort, Nawaz was taken to see the eye doctors at Al Mustafa Welfare Trust’s (AMWT) local hospital in Tehsil. There he was diagnosed with glaucoma and the medical staff at AMWT lost no time in operating on him. Nawaz and his family didn't have to pay anything for the operation or even the medication afterwards. This alone was a miracle for Nawaz, who then regained his sight after the surgery. Now able to see again, Nawaz has returned to work and sent his son back to school.
Rab Nawaz knows that non of this would have been possible without the ongoing support of AMWT donors. He prays that Allah (swt) rewards them for their generosity and kindness.
A mere £35 helped save Rab Nawaz from the life of darkness and dependance. It saved his family from poverty and meant his son could go to school. £35 isn't much at all for us, but it has meant to world for one man and his family. This Ramadan, please donate your Zakat and Sadaqah to help us end curable blindness in the developing world.
