Blindness not the end: Afghan children build futures through education — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): For years, Zakirullah wondered why he was born without sight. Today, at the Kabul Vocational Institute for the Blind, he is learning the Holy Quran, school subjects, computer skills and life skills alongside hundreds of other blind children and teenagers, building confidence and hope for the future. Here, blindness is not the end of dreams but the beginning of a journey towards self-reliance and independence. Established in 1980, the institute currently provides education to 300 blind students — 200 boys and 100 girls — from Grade 1 to Grade 14. Alongside the national curriculum and Islamic studies, students receive training in computer use, smartphone skills, brush-making, chair weaving and sports. Sitting quietly in a corner of his classroom and reciting the Holy Quran, Zakirullah, a third-grade student at the institute, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he spends his days attending classes and memorising the Quran. Blindness is not unfamiliar in his family. His uncle and one of his sisters are also visually impaired. Speaking softly, Zakirullah recalled the days when he questioned why God had created him blind. “Sometimes I asked God why I had been born blind and prayed for my eyesight to be restored,” he said. “But when I see some people with sight doing things that displease God, I tell myself: ‘No, thank God I…