Building a Movement to Empower Disabled Community Members in Pakistan

by Mazhar Hanif, Yaushva Rafaqat (Help Relay Foundation), Kiran Shahzadi (Help Relay Foundation), and Manzoor Cheema (Local to Global Human Development)

Background:

Human Rights Watch estimates that as much as 11% of Pakistanis (or 27 million people) have some form of disability (or differently abled). Disabled community members in Pakistan face many challenges, ranging from lack of adequate infrastructure, facilities, and services that will allow them to live a fulfilling life. On top, working class disabled community members face challenges of poverty and marginalization from society. As a consequence, many people facing mobility impairments or even mental health crises are relegated to street begging for their survival.

The movement for the rights for the disabled is nascent and not as developed in Pakistan as in many industrialized/OECD countries. The state spends minuscule resources for the basic rights (mobility access, livable jobs, equal opportunity legislation, etc.). On top, the society often relegates disabled community members as a burden. 

There is a critical need to build the leadership of the disabled community members in Pakistan so they organize other disabled community members around them, advocate for their rights, and change the balance of power. However, one challenge for many working class disabled community members is the urgent need to put food on the table or pay the rent. High inflation-rate and joblessness in Pakistan has attained a state of crisis for the working class. Therefore, offering mutual aid and solidarity-based charity should go hand-in-hand with building the power of many impacted community members so they become their own leaders.

The Story of Mazhar Hanif

Local to Global Human Development decided to partner with Islamabad-Rawalpindi based interfaith charitable organization, Help Relay Foundation, to work on a pilot project of supporting a working class disabled community member, Mazhar Hanif, and, in the process, building his leadership to defend and advocate for the rights of other disabled community members. Help Relay’s organizers, Rafaqat Masih and Yaushva Rafaqat had established a relationship with Mr. Hanif in their neighborhood.

Born in a modest family in Amerpura Mohalla/neighborhood in Rawalpindi city, a province of Punjab, Pakistan, Mazhar was raised by his parents and his other siblings. Due to the lack of adequate medical facilities and awareness at that time, he suffered from polio, a highly infectious disease, mostly affecting young children that attacks the nervous system and can lead to spinal and respiratory paralysis and, in some cases, death.

This debilitating disease resulted in the loss of his right hand and both legs by the age of seven. Despite his physical limitations, he never allowed this setback to hinder his progress. He remained unmarried while his siblings established their own lives and lived independently.

Fortunately, some of his close friends recognized his potential and introduced him to a skill to help him obtain a living and lead a fulfilling life. They often accompanied him to a nearby electrical workshop where he started learning skills. Within a few months, he became proficient in repairing various types electrical equipments and home appliances, ranging from pedestal fans to table-top juicer machines. This newfound skill enabled him to establish a small-scale electrical-equipment repair business at Mohalla Waris Khan Near Tariq Tikka House Restaurant. According to Mr. Hanif, he is obliged to his friends who motivated him and were kind enough to provide him pick and drop facility to the workshop.

Mazhar Hanif’s small-scale electric equipment repair shop located at Mohalla Waris Khan near the Tariq Tikka Restaurant in Rawalpindi, Punjab

With the passage of time, Hanif continued his struggle to meet both ends. However, he faced challenges in running his small-scale business efficiently as he cannot stand, walk or travel easily. Once again few of his old friends helped him to buy an old second-hand electrical wheelchair for him to commute from his rented house to shop. For a few years, the machine worked well, but eventually, it stopped working due to its deserted condition and lack of resources to maintain it. The wheelchair’srubber tires were severely worn out, and the batteries were partially functional, requiring him to carry a charger-cable along with him to compensate for the low battery life. Therefore, he pleaded for assistance in acquiring a good working wheelchair with efficient and durable parts. With this support, he would be able to manage the daily operations of his shop and purchase the necessary pieces of equipment and tools to run his shop independently. 

Achievements from the Project:

Helprelay Foundation, always committed to its motto “to help those who need our help,” learned about Mr. Hanif through a reliable source. Without wasting any time, Helprelay geared up its team and visited Hanif’s shop, where they met him, inquired about his disability and current living circumstances and also took pictures and a video clip of his small-scale business.

Recognizing Mazhar Hanif's needs and utilizing a grant from L2G, Help Relay Foundation procured four new wheels and two batteries to resolve his wheelchair issues. In March 2024, the old wheels and batteries were replaced with the help of a local mechanic, Mr. Mohsin. Upon resolving the battery issue, Mr. Mazhar Hanif can now venture to larger markets to purchase better pieces of equipments and tools, enabling him to complete repair jobs within a given time. 

With his newfound mobility and independence, Mr. Hanif can now traverse the bustling markets with ease, procure the necessary equipment for his business, and continue to serve his loyal clientele. He can now easily explore bigger markets despite facing technical limitations. Traveling has become much smoother for him. 

New batteries and tires to be installed in the wheel-chair owned by Mazhar Hanif

Rawalpindi-based mechanic, Mr. Mohsin, installing new tires in the wheel-chair

Mr. Hanif in his newly functional wheel-chair

Future Challenges

Unfortunately, Mr. Hanif’s situation is desolate; the shop needs many basic necessities, like paint, adequate wall racks, a table, a wall bracket fan, and working tools. Hanif told our team members that most of the time he hires fresh technicians to teach them the skills and also to help him where needed. Once they learn the skills and leave. Therefore, most of the time he has to run the shop without any help. Mr. Hanif is also seeking financial assistance in purchasing electric inventory for sale.

Help Relay Foundation and L2G also recognize financial constraints in helping disabled communities individually. For example, Human Rights Watch estimates that as much as 11% of Pakistanis (or 27 million people) have some form of disability. The state has to play a robust role in providing basic rights and support services to the disabled community members.

Next Steps

Help Relay Foundation will help Mr. Hanif in developing his leadership skills in the disabled community. We will support him to contact other disabled community members, learn about their needs, and develop collective strategy for winning their basic rights. Help Relay and L2G will provide resources for them to exercise their rights, including submitting op-eds/letters to the editor in the media and arranging meetings with government officials to demand rights for disabled community members, including availability of free or subsidized wheelchairs for people with disability.

Help Relay Foundation and L2G will also seek collaboration and partnership with disability advocacy organizations in Pakistan and globally, learn from their work, and develop effective programs for disability rights in low-income and rural areas in Pakistan. Help Relay Foundation will reach out to Pakistan-based organizations - Handicap International Pakistan, Association for Rehabilitation of the Physically Disabled, and Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP). Local to Global Human Development (North Carolina-based organization) will reach out to Disability Rights North Carolina, headquartered in Raleigh, NC, to seek disability rights partnership between North Carolina and Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

 Also read: Conditions for the Disabled Community Members in Pakistan