“Now, I am able to help future presidents.” These are the words of Abdul Shokor an International Assistance Mission (IAM) employee who never imagined he would one day be an optician, serving the people of Afghanistan.
Abdul works at the Mazar Ophthalmic Center (MOC), an IAM eye hospital that not only focuses on the delivery of high-quality services to the people of Afghanistan, but also cares about its employees and their families. All of our staff work extremely hard to serve the people of Afghanistan, and we are proud when we hear of the huge changes that working with IAM has made in people’s lives.
This is Abdul’s story.
Abdul serves the people of Afghanistan by making them glasses
Abdul started his journey with IAM in 2006 as a guard. Before that, Abdul was a vegetable vendor on the streets of Mazar. He was trying to support his family, but felt that his days were passing with no significant achievements. “Even though I was trying to earn money to feed my family, in all the long days I was just earning 100 Afs,” Abdul says. Things got increasingly difficult until, one day, he was offered a job as a guard with IAM. Abdul could never have imagined how much his life would change by accepting this job.
Transparent, honest, and hardworking, everyone agreed that Abdul was doing a great job as a guard. After six years, in 2013, he was transferred to MOC. There, he continued to work as a guard for another four years, before becoming a cleaner in the hospital. At that time, MOC’s manager noticed Abdul’s hard work and commitment and asked him if he would like to become an optician.
“I was shocked and couldn’t speak,” says Abdul, “but I managed to reply yes, with a trembling voice.” When he told his family the news, no one could believe it! He began working in the glasses-making section of the hospital, and then was sent to Kabul for training. When he came back to MOC, he was a professional optician.
Getting to see clearly after struggling with poor eyesight is a wonderful gift, and it’s one Abdul is helping to give to people like this man.
Abdul is deeply proud of his work with MOC. “When I am making glasses for a child, I always think to myself, I am making this one for the future president of Afghanistan!” Abdul says. “If they are not able to see the world they won’t be able to even help themselves.” His strong feeling for humanity encourages Abdul to work hard for MOC as an optician, because he knows that he is playing a big part in the future of his people through his job. “My deep feeling for my people doesn’t let me rest. I just use a few days of my annual leave, because I want to be always available in MOC and serving my people,” Abdul added, with a strong voice. Now his family, friends, relatives, neighbors, and other community members respect him more than anyone else because they know he is working with MOC.
MOC is part of IAM’s National Organisation for Ophthalmic Rehabilitation (NOOR). Through NOOR, we’re working to end preventable blindness in Afghanistan and to provide access to high-quality eye care for all. Abdul is one of hundreds of committed eye-care professionals working to help us achieve this goal.
IAM is committed to raising the professional level of our employees through different capacity building and educational programmes. We are excited when we see people like Abdul, reaching their potential and shining, working hard to help the people of Afghanistan keep their sight.
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To find out more about IAM activities in eye care, click here!