SRINAGAR: Parvez Ahmad Hajam travels 3 km every day to go to school on one foot. The 14-year-old student of Class 9 at Government High School Nowgam lost his left leg when he was one year old due to severe burn injuries.
However, despite his disability, Parvez is determined to work hard to pursue his goal. The boy, who hails from Mawar area of Handwara in Kashmir’s Kupwara district, wants to become a doctor and serve the community. “I carry my school bag and hop on one leg to the school. It takes me over an hour each way, to reach the school in the morning, and back home,” Parvez said.
Although the teenager has been provided crutches and a wheelchair, he is not able to use them because of the bad condition of the roads in his village. Appealing to the government for help, he said, “If I get an artificial limb, it will help me become more mobile and pursue higher education. I have not lost hope and I won’t give up. In fact, I am working hard to realise all my goals and those of my parents.”
Despite the challenges, Parvez competes with other students in all aspects, be it curricular or co-curricular activities. He plays cricket and volleyball with other boys in his school and village. “I will make my village and my country proud if I get proper coaching in volleyball,” he said.
Parvez’s teachers describe him as a bright and talented student. His father, Ghulam Ahmed, said his son is a capable child and the government should extend support to him. “Due to financial constraints, I am unable to bear expenses for his medical treatment. He needs an artificial limb, and for using that he needs to undergo a surgery first. I cannot afford it,” he said.