Yasmeena is Blind by Eyes But Sighted by Heart

Visually impaired Yasmeena singly supports her family Published:12/12/2011 1:00:00 PM Updated: 12/12/2011 10:49:26 AM By: SANA ALTAF Filed Under: srinagar


SRINAGAR, Dec 12: Yasmeena’s eyes have not seen the world since years yet she can knit colourful woolens. She has no education but supports her family comfortably. There is no one to care of her or look after her, but Yasmeena has given many a smile to her family.
Despite being visually impaired for more than 25 years, Yasmeena solely supports her old mother. Resident of Anantnag district, Yasmeena has traveled all across Kashmir and also outside Kashmir.
“I never wanted to make my blindness my hurdle. I have overcome it and don’t feel that I am not normal,” says Yasmeena, 38 year old.
Yasmeena was not born with blindness but developed some visual disorders from childhood.
“I had 50 percent visual disorder and could not see properly. I went through lot of treatment for it, but it didn’t help. My condition worsened after my eye surgery failed,” said Yasmeena.
Yasmeena gradually lost her eyesight completely and was forced to abandon her studies.
“I was not able to purse my studies beyond 8th standard.” All day Yasmeena would sit home, idle.
“It frustrated me. I felt I am being a burden on my mother,” said Yasmeena
Yasmeena has not seen her father who passed away when she was 45 days old. Yasmeena’s mother singly brought up her five children.
“We were all toddlers when my father passed away. My mother worked hard to support us and get all my siblings married.”
But soon, Yasmeena’s two brothers also left the family, leaving Yasmeena and her mother alone.
“Mother would do household work and I would sit all day,” Yasmeena adds.
Yasmeena took to knitting after her cousin gave the suggestion.
“My cousin asked me to start knitting only to pass time. So I tried and started knitting small things for my nephew and niece,” says Yasmeena.
For four years, Yasmeena continued her knitting for passing time.
“But one day I went to buy wool. There I came to know that hand knitted woolens were also being sold. I asked the shopkeepers if he would take my hand knit woolens, to which he agreed,” says Yasmeena.
To show her worth, Yasmeena would knit day and night to complete woolens sweaters for infants.
“The shopkeeper was happy to see my work, though it had errors. He started giving me orders, even though for one year I made mistakes in designs.”
Yasmeena gradually gained consistency and overcome all her knitting errors to perfection.
Today Yasmeena can knit woolens for adults and children of all colours and designs.
“I am not dependant on anyone now. I earn more than Rs 2000 per month which is enough to support my mother and me,” Yasmeena says.
She also sends gifts and hand made woolens to her nephews and niece
“They all love me a lot. I keep sending those gifts. It makes me happy,” says Yasmeena, who is unmarried.