KABUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — Amid a country often defined by conflict and hardship, an unassuming school in Kabul is quietly reshaping the future for Afghanistan’s blind community. The Visually Impaired Vocational Institute, one of the oldest centers of its kind, has been nurturing dreams for the visually impaired since 1979.
“Despite changes of several governments, our institute has never closed its doors,” said Mawlawi Kamaluddin Hanifzada, the head of the institute. “It has remained active and stable.”
Over the decades, the institute has become more than a school, it is a sanctuary where students gain literacy through Braille, confidence through community, and ambition through education.
Veteran teacher Abdul Tawab Khurram, who has taught here for 21 years, believes in the power of education to transform lives. “The blind are a deprived group in society. We must educate them so they can have a bright future, free from isolation and dependency. Through the Braille system, we teach them to enjoy literacy like ordinary people.”
Today, 56 teachers instruct more than 300 students across two parallel tracks of religious and modern education. Inclusivity is at the core: enrollment is open to all, regardless of ethnicity, background, or the cause of blindness.
“Our graduates master Braille-based computer systems and often find work with ministries and humanitarian organizations like the ICRC (International Red Cross and Red Crescent),” Hanifzada explained with pride.
Yet challenges persist. The institute urgently needs better teacher training and student accommodation. “If our teachers can travel abroad to learn modern tools, they will return with skills to improve our curriculum,” Hanifzada said.
Still, the students’ voices are the clearest proof of the institute’s impact. 16-year-old Mustafa Abdullahi dreams big: “I want to become the head of a bank and serve my country.” Nine-year-old Kawsar has another vision: “I love all my subjects, and one day I want to become a journalist to tell the stories of my people.”
For 11-year-old Gulsoom, the joy is simpler but no less powerful: “When I come to school, my teachers are kind to me. I want to be a kind teacher, too.”
In a nation too often portrayed by its struggles, this institute stands as a beacon of hope, proving that disability is not inability, and that with opportunity, every child has the power to redefine the future.
