The Handicapped,Determination surmounts the impossible [Archives:2004/745/Reportage]

The physically handicapped citizens and people with disabilities are those who either received their disabilities during accidents or who were naturally born with them due to various reasons.
But the unable persons are the losers and failures who can do nothing nor achieve anything.
Many geniuses and extraordinary people adapted to being handicapped and to having a disability, and they were able to conquer their deficiencies and proved that there is nothing impossible. Many of them made great stories of success.
The Yemeni handicapped are not any different from others, despite the scarcity of financial capabilities.

The carnival, entitled “The Horizons of Spirit”, inaugurated by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, during the Yemeni celebrations on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the National Day, was participated in by 455 handicapped and disabled persons from 11 associations for the handicapped and disabled persons from various governorates of the Republic. One of the goals was to join in the spirit of participation and to show the artistic and innovative aspects of this segment of the society, and to acquaint and familiarize the general public with their production abilities and their valuable contributions to the society, in addition to unveiling the side of spirit in ingenuity and creation through their acts of ingenious creativity, whether it was in theatrical plays, music and dance, fine arts, and handicrafts and in many other fields.
The personal attendance and participation of President Saleh in the carnival and his issuance of directives to employ a number of them left a very touching impact on them and has motivated them to do their best.
The carnival, which spread over an expanse area of Sabean Park, was divided into separate sections, one for each participating governorate. It clearly reflected the determination, resilience, and strong will of the handicapped and disabled persons to overcome their disabilities, and their ability to contribute to and integrate into the society in the path to build and develop the country.
Yemen Times was keen to examine closely their situations and expectations and it held several interviews with the carnival's organizers and officials of their associations and organizations.
“The carnival came in part as the participation of this segment of society in the celebration of Sana'a, the Arab Cultural Capital 2004”, said Dr. Amat Al-Razaq Jahaf, a member at the carnival's preparation committee and official of Handicrafts Exhibitions. She stated that the carnival was not an attempt to arouse pity and sympathy, but to bring about deserved admiration for the handicapped and disabled citizens.

Ms. Sajedah Ismail Essa, an expert in training the handicapped and a worker at Handicapped Caring Fund, confirmed that the carnival was a good opportunity to show the creations of the handicapped and disabled citizens and their distinguished abilities to make things even ordinary people would not be able to do. Many of them are even better than who are not handicapped or do not have any disability. She emphasized the importance of paying more attention and care to them and especially finding funding for raw materials to enable them to carry out what they do best. The mistake would be to terminate funding of their educational projects, she said.
Mr. Bandr Al-Hurthy, Secretary General of Deaf and Dumb Association, said that the scope of the activities of the disabled and handicapped people is endless. They could do anything if conditions are right, as demonstrated by the types of products in the carnival.
“Seven physically handicapped persons were distinguished among others in their making of silverware, belts and rings with precious stones and handmade crafts, famous in Yemen and attractive to tourists. The revenue collected from sales of these products go to support future projects”, said Mr. Abdullah Bin Talib, from Aden Handicapped Association.
All in all, the carnival reflected the high spirits, determination and strong-will of the handicapped and disabled citizens to sustain a normal productive life.

Types of products:
Ibb and Dhamar: The products of the participants from the two governorates were some Yemeni traditional dresses such as “al-Mawaz”
Taiz: The participants excelled in making wooden objects, antiques and traditional Yemeni women's costumes.
Sana'a: The participants from Sana'a offered a wide range of products that varied from baby dolls, household accessories, conventional blankets, and bookbinding.
Amran: Participants from this governorate displayed their abilities in making models of homes, castles and famous mosques in Yemen, in addition to holding an Exhibition of Fine Arts.
Hadhramout: Products from this governorate included pieces of engraved wood, bookbinding and a musical band playing on historical musical instruments. The participants excelled in manufacturing agricultural tools and jewelry.
Lahj: Lahj governorate furnished a complete musical band that sang several Yemeni traditional songs.
Saddah: The handicapped from Saddah governorate impressed the guests with their decorative handmade handicrafts.
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