Basira Mohamed, 20, is blind and works for a local organization helping other women with disabilities.
Basira lost her sight at the age of 10 through an illness. Without access to specialist education, she had to study alongside sighted pupils.
She became one of the best performing students in her school because of her hard work and determination. “Despite facing a lot of challenges in life, I attended both secular and religious schools, and I even memorized the entire Koran!”
“I used to wake up late in the night to memorize what I heard from the teachers in classes. I was given some special tools that helped me in reading and writing when I was in secondary school.”
She praised her parents and siblings for their support and encouragement. They even ensured she was driven to and from school.
Basira’s ambition now is to continue to higher education and work with disabled women in the city to maximize their opportunies.
“I meet with disabled women who visit my office for counseling every day,” she said.
Basira carries two mobile phones with her. “First I answer the calls and listen to the voice of the caller. That is when I realize who the caller is,” she explained.
“I can also use all other features of the cell phones. I can send messages without any help, because I know all the digits on the phone by heart.”
