People of Value

Chennai: K Mohammed Hassain

Disability has not deterred the spirits of a young man born without hands. He is 29 and has great confidence and a temperament to succeed in life. With skill and determination to work hard, K Mohammed Hassain strives to earn his living to lead an independent life like any other person and his physical disability has not dampened his desire to lead a decent livin

g. He has learned to support himself in any activity. He has grown in an environment which has made him mentally strong and inculcated self confidence in him. It's not his disability that has won the hearts of many but his ability to use his legs skillfully, to do his daily chores. Since his childhood he has used his legs to do all sorts of work. He said that just the way a small child uses his hands for playing, he used his legs.

Trained in repairing electronic goods, including cellular phones, Hassain now assists his brother in their electronic shop, repairing cellular phones. It just takes a few seconds for him to remove the screws of the phone with his toes, using a screw driver. He has learned not only how to open the phones but also how to do the minutest of repairs. He has regular customers who come to him to get their cellular phones repaired without any hesitation.

He can repair any electronic good, including CD players, tape recorders and radios. He is also learning to repair a LCD projector from his brother. But this job serves only as a temporary livelihood, meeting only his personal expenses. He has been seeking a government job for five to six years now.

But none of his applications have evoked any response. Hassain has a helping mind too, if not hands. He, along with a few friends, started Jeevan Welfare Society with the aim of helping the underprivileged people. They started the Society in 1997 with the objective of helping the downtrodden and creating awareness about HIV/AIDS.

This Society has also given him a great deal of self-confidence. He said that his aim in life was to help his family. He lost his father in an accident when he was five and his family had helped him till now and it was his turn to do something for them.

Source: Handling disability with ease. Indian Express, Chennai, 25th November 2005.

Lucknow: Mohammed Rehan Khan

18 year old Mohammed Rehan Khan was the cynosure of all on the last day of the preliminary round of the Yuva Mahotsava. Despite being lame since birth, he is slowly and steadily climbing the steps of fame. He first made headlines when he faced an august audience of Anu Malik, Sonu Nigam and Farah Khan and sang his favourite song- the title track of 'Kal Ho Na Ho'.

When talking about this experience he exclaimed that he was very happy when Anu Malik called him a spirited boy who had the guts to follow his dream. As for his singing capabilities the judges only had praise and music director Anu Malik said that he sung the song better than most other participants who had sung the same song.

After the additional three rounds of the contest, Mohammed Rehan regaled the audience with a song from 'Dosti'. Residing in the bylanes of Aminabad, he has been encouraged to participate in various events by his uncle and nine siblings. He said that his family and his entire neighborhood was very supportive and cheered him on. He has done a one year long course in Bhatkhande to improve his singing skills.

Meanwhile, the last day of the contest saw almost 100 participants, from the senior category. The audience supported and encouraged all the performances.

Source: Getting even with all odds. The Pioneer, Lucknow, 26th November 2005.