MINGORA: Despite several challenges in the patriarchal society, 24-year-old Tamseela, who was born without hands, pursued her dreams of completing education after passing BSc in computer science but she is desperate to get government job and live a respectable life.

Living in Nawagai village of Barikot tehsil in Swat, Tamseela did not consider her disability as her weakness and managed to get computer education. She, from the day first, wanted to become a computer teacher and impart education to the girls of her area.

“The day I passed my BSc computer science examination, I was excited to find a job and live a respectable life but unfortunately it did not happen and I am still struggling to find a job and pursue my dream of educating the girls of poor communities in my area,” she told Dawn.

Tamseela completes education and wants to become a teacher

There is only a primary school for girls in her village where majority of the girls stop further education as they can’t afford transportation charges to reach a high school in Barikot town.

“At first I also decided to give up education as it was hard for me to travel to Barikot town and go to school but my teacher Iffat Nasir motivated me and my parents for further education. She is supporting me till this moment,” said Tamseela. She added that she also got advance diploma in education.

Tamseela is expert in computer and can operate it like normal people. She can also perform all household chores and sew clothes with machine. Apart from carrying out household chores, she teaches children of her neighbourhood free of cost.

“I teach all the children of my relatives and neighbours without charging them because I want all the children to get education,” she said. She added that she was social and loved to talk to her friends.

“My friends in school called me talkative. My college and school friends keep regular contact with me and they say they miss me,” said Tamseela. She added that she appeared in NTS test for teaching in the disabled quota and was waiting for its result.

Iffat Nasir, a teacher and social activist in Swat, who supported Tamseela in getting education, told Dawn that she was a bright girl and set an example of bravery and courage for even normal girls in her society.

“She got education and never sought help from others in this regard. She is a real motivation for other disabled as well as normal girls,” she said and demanded of the government to offer her a job of computer operator or teacher so that she could stand on her feet and live a respectable life.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2019