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"Steps to Hope: Ahmad Journey Towards a Brighter Future"

“I want to walk and then work to secure my future and buy a house and a car,” says the 16-year-old young man, when talking about his difficult and challenging life journey. His wishes go beyond the boundaries of the reality in which he lives, and revolve around his strong desire for change towards a better life. His dreams were filled with renewed hope, leading him step by step towards achieving his goals.

A family consisting of 8 children, in addition to the mother and father, has been living for 11 years in a modest rented house in a small town called ISLAHIYE. The family does not have a fixed income, as the father works daily on agricultural land, and the mother helps him sometimes when she has time. Since life seemed restricted and opportunities were limited in that village, the 16-year-old found himself surrounded by difficulties. Such as the inability to move normally due to his physical disability. He has also been unable to walk since birth and cannot stand at all. He dreamed of walking and moving freely, participating in the Hajj trip with his parents, and owning his own business that would enable him to achieve financial independence.

“I dream of education and study, but there are no schools for people with disabilities in the area.” Unfortunately, the young man has been unable to attend school due to his health and physical condition, compounded by the lack of specialized schools in their area that can cater to his needs. And with his presence in an environment that does not provide the necessary support for people with disabilities, the difficulties exceeded his ability to go out and interact with society.

Through continuous field visits to the earthquake-damaged city of Islahiye, the field team of the Sened Organization was able to reach the beneficiary's family. after the case management process, an internal referral process was carried out to proceed with the necessary physiotherapist assessment. Following that, the required assistive devices such as wheelchair, diapers, and a bathroom chair were provided based on the individual's condition. his life gradually began to change. “After I received a wheelchair from Sened Organization, I was able to go out with my brother to the park and go to events.” talking about receiving the assistive devices, which gave him the opportunity to go out and move around more freely. He feels happy and joyful, and can now participate in the activities and experiences he dreamed of.

As the young man’s father says, “Thank God, my son loves playing and learning. He can differentiate between colors now”. Through this help and treatment which is to restore, maintain, and make the most of a patient's mobility, function, and well-being, the young man felt a great improvement in his psychological condition through the Psychological First Aid (PFA) sessions provided to the beneficiary and his family, along with counseling support sessions (hygiene promotion session) to enhance awareness regarding disease prevention and epidemics. Before receiving support, the beneficiary mentioned that his mental health state had been negatively affected due to the disability and physical condition he had. However, he also stated that there was improvement after receiving the necessary support for his situation and he no longer suffered from constant anxiety and lack of sleep, and began to enjoy playing and learning, and excelled in new skills such as distinguishing between colors, which made his family members feel happy and proud of his progress.

Now that his hopes for the future have become clearer, this young man aspires to walk again, then work to secure his future and buy a house and a car. His dreams are filled with optimism and confidence, and the future appears bright and promising.