My feet are as good as my hands

This is the story of a young woman who lost her hands in an accident, but she hasn't let that stop her from excelling.

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Saba Gul is a young girl from Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In 2005, she lost her hands due to a severe electric shock.

“I was playing with my friends when a high-voltage wire fell upon me. My parents rushed me to the district hospital in Buner. The doctors amputated my both hands and since than I am using my feet as my hands to get through life.”

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Currently, she is a student at one of the prestigious colleges in Peshawar, the Islamia College for Girls.

“Life without hands was indeed very tough in the beginning, but with the passage of time I have trained myself to be a normal person. I believe one should be bold and brave in facing the difficulties of life.”

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Gul carries out routine work with her feet. She writes with her toes. She has learned how to dress herself, iron her clothes and do other tasks.

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A renowned lawyer and human right activist, the late Asma Jahangir,  and another artist and model in a wheelchair, Muniba Mazari, are her inspirations. She looks up to their struggles while fighting her own battles.

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Gul had a dream to study in this top college of the province. 

“I was very excited when I got admission here.”

She believes that education is the only way to empower girls in Pakistan. She wishes to be a lawmaker and wants to work and struggle for the rights of women, especially the physically challenged.

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“Although I can do all the routine work using my feet like writing, ironing my clothes, preparing my college bag etc. but not having hands still limits me a great deal. I wish the government could help me get artificial hands.”

Her best friend Malaika says that, “Saba the bravest girl I have ever known in my life. She is an inspiration for all of us.”

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