Blind man serves Egypt’s disabled children

Posted: March 1, 2011   By: Holly Drake

ZERIAB, Egypt - For more than ten years, Romany has had a vision to serve disabled children in Egypt.

Today, that “vision” has become a reality, despite his own challenging disability—Romany is blind.

In the poorest regions of Egypt, most disabled children are ignored, forgotten, or kept hidden. Fortunately, Romany’s parents saw beyond his disability and gave him every opportunity for success.

They sent him to a special school for the blind where Romany learned to read and write Braille and much more. Now, Romany wants to give those same opportunities to other disabled children, and especially families who don’t have the means or knowledge to help them.

With the support of a church in the city of Zeriab, Romany opened a training center right in the center of the garbage dump area, where at least 30 percent of Zeriab’s citizens make their meager living by sifting through garbage, looking for items to recycle.

Romany’s goal is to educate not only the children but also their parents, many of whom fear for the future of their disabled children.

Romany replaces that fear with confidence. He speaks in the church at Zeriab about giving life to these precious children.

Now there are 38 children at Romany’s training center receiving therapy and education, learning necessary life skills and improving their ability to communicate.

“They say he is the father of the disabled children,” explained one man in Zeriab.

And Romany’s reach is growing as more churches are now looking to him for assistance.

In partnership with Romany, Operation Blessing has provided the center with computers, educational supplies, and monthly salary support for the teachers.

“We are very proud and honored to work with such a humble person as Romany and partner with him to support his training center for these precious children,” said Kumar Periasamy, OBI’s director of international operations and programs.