ABM

My name is Niamatullah Rekazai, the director of Afghanistan Blinds Management (ABM). I was considered disabled because I am blind. I have always thought about the vulnerability of my community — especially women, girls, children and people with disabilities. As a responsible individual, I have worked for better health, economic opportunity, disability inclusion and the protection of women's and children's rights.

I helped establish various networks of women and people with disabilities, but on my own it was not possible to reach the goals and standards I had set. So I founded and officially registered an organization where this work could be managed well: Afghanistan Blinds Management, established in 2002 to give individuals and communities the chance to recover their lives and achieve their full potential — in education, social well-being, disability inclusion, vocational training, agriculture, ending violence against women, reconstruction and health.

ABM always includes people with disabilities in every program from the design stage, and encourages them to raise their voices and claim their basic rights under the UN convention and national and international law. ABM will continue its work and its responsibility toward communities across Afghanistan, in collaboration and cooperation with partners and donors.