The blind four [Archives:2003/627/Last Page]

Bassam Jamil
We saw him whilst he was wandering through Al-Zaubari Street, almost trembling as he walked his uneven steps staring with vacant eyes into the bustling crowds around him. Actually it wouldn't have felt so strange if it wasn't for the four kids he was leading them to an unknown destination;
“Watch out there is a pole to the right!”
“Stick to the left, it's the main street ahead of you!”
“Move forward, watch the stairs!”

The four of them were blind!
We approached him, partially out of curiosity and partially out of sympathy, we wanted to know the story behind the mysterious family, so we took him to the Yemen Times where he told us his story, or more accurately; tragedy.
Hamood Ahmad Hassan is one of the million laborers who build this country and in turn doesn't even have a home. Those whose daily routine is struggling under the merciless sun, or the unforgiving cold for food, and yet most of the time not getting enough of it. Those who can't afford to be choosy about the circumstances of their work and living, the not by choice, danger riders for a couple of hundred rials, no privileges at all, and not even respect.
Hamood is one of 10 million Yemenis living under the poverty line, having 6 young children to take care out of which four can't see. While I was watching the situation I was thinking of how cruel the world is, and I remembered Omar bin Al-Khattab (May god be pleased with him) with his famous say: “If poverty was a man I would have killed him!”
Humanitarian Call
When I asked Hamood is something could be done for his kids, he said for the elder ones it's too late, but for the younger ones there is still a chance. The reason for the blindness was End-Stage Glaucoma, Corneal Edema and Corneal Opacity causing blindness. Yet the young ones Haifa and Haitham suffer from Optic Nerve Atrophy and total blindness, and all those reasons are hereditary. The young ones could still make it, if you care, and you think you can donate or help in anyway; please contact his neighbor Qaid Al-Maqtari at 408312, or Akram 73834128.
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