My feet are as good as my hands

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

“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.”