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Midget says he can work like a normal person

DUBAI — A UAE national here, born a midget to normal parents, is not complaining though he is struggling to provide his family a respectable living because he is perpetually jobless.

by

Afkar Ali Ahmed

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Published: Sat 22 Jan 2005, 5:41 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 7:41 PM

“My family and myself are happy because we accept what God has given us and we believe that God will one day make our life better, just like the normal people,” said Hamad Awaida, a victim of a hollow social misconception about physical attributes.

Hamad, who is married to Umm Zaffir, a normal woman from Fujairah, and has four children — three of whom have a physical condition similar to his — is confident he can work like any other human being, but employers hardly take his claim seriously.

Hamad wants his children to continue to study in the same school as their neighbours, but his financial condition is making it difficult.

“Many employers believe that a midget person can’t handle any job or perform normal duties. I am a normal person, except for my physique, and I am ready to do any work that the employer wants me to,” he said.

The monthly government social aid he receives and donations from people of goodwill are not sufficient for the family that includes his normal eldest son Zaffir and his sisters Rawda and Sara as well as Mohammed, the youngest. “Rawda, Sara and Mohammed were born midgets, but Zaffir, the first son was born normal as his mother,” he said.

Hamad said the cost of living has gone up considerably and he has several family obligations that require him to find a job for a regular income that would allow his family to lead a normal life.

“Rawda and Sara got admission in a regular school. Since the school bus route does not cover our residential area, we have to spend a good amount of money to drive them to and from the school,” Hamad points out, listing the demands on his earnings.

He said that all over the world people of his physical condition are independent and lead normal life as others working just like any other human being. Some of them are rich and own great businesses in their countries, “but I find that it is impossible for midgets in our society to get opportunities to be innovative in any field of life,” he lamented.

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