DADU: Shabiran Jatoi, 25, born blind, runs a grocer shop in her house to support his family, majority of them are also blind by birth. Resident of village Hakim Ali Jatoi in Kutcha area along River Indus, some 6 kilometers from Dadu city, Jatoi’s 14 family members, including children and women are born blind.
Her family lives in a makeshift hut built inside the Kutcha area and when there is flooding in the river they have to move away and wait for the flood waters to recede, so that they may move back to their village. “It is the monsoon season and we are afraid there will be flooding this year, if it floods, we will loose our stored grain,” Jatoi told Daily Times. Not just the flooding, but their village also suffers with tribal clashes between different communities and often there is exchange of fire. “These clashes also causes problems for us,” she added.
Her brother, Hafiz Saeed Ahmed Jatoi, who is also a blind person, is Hafiz-e-Quran and teaches religious education to the children to their village for a small fee, but that is not enough to support the family. “I am suffering with fever permanently but I prefer not to go to see a doctor as I can’t afford it,” said Shabiran.
Shabiran demanded the federal government of Pakistan, Sindh government, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and others to help them in the treatments of their blindness and also help them to construct houses. “We are poor, therefore, I request Bilawal Bhutto to help us in our treatment, so that we may see the world again and also we need proper houses,” demanded Shabiran.
Published in Daily Times, July 3rd, 2017.
