Overcoming speech impediment Sajib becomes a skilled worker now

A large number of Dhaka’s low income people live in the Kamrangirchar area, on the banks of Buriganga river. Passing through the alleys of Hujurpara in Kamrangirchar, we reached a tiny factory where shopping bags are produced. Arrays of colourful tissue shopping bags were coming out of the machine there.

One of the four machines in this factory was being operated by a youth, Md Sajib. He was completely immersed in his work at that moment. He was briefing the task to his assistant, standing next to him with sign language.

Sajib actually communicates in sign language as he’s been suffering from hearing and speech impediment since childhood. Despite this impediment, he has excelled in his working skills.

We had gone to Macca Plastic and Rubber Industries to know Sajib’s indomitable success story. Twenty-year-old Shojib is working as a machine operator in this factory. 

Sajib had joined the factory as an assistant machine operator with a salary of Tk 7,500 per month about four years ago. He got promoted within just a year of starting the job. Everyone in the factory praises his skill level.

Sajib had to face various obstacles in his childhood. At the age of three he had fever with chills for 11 days and lost his hearing as well as speech. Then his mother Reshma Begum and his rickshaw-puller father Abdul Kader fell into trouble with their son.

Physicians advised Sajib’s parents to admit him at a specialised school for disabled children in Dhaka’s Mohakhali area. But it wasn’t possible for them to travel almost 13 kilometres from Kamrangirchar to Mohakhali regularly.

Instead, Sajib’s parents had admitted him into a local madrasah. He, however, was struggling to cope up with the education system there because of his speech impediment. Then in 2012, one of their neighbours informed Sajib’s family about SEID-Summit community therapy centre.

Non-government organisation (NGO) SEID operates two specialised centres in Mohammadpur and Kamrangirchar of Dhaka for underprivileged people with neuro-developmental disabilities.

Educationalist and social worker Dilara Sattar Mitu established the centre back in 2003.  Children are provided with therapies, technical training and life-oriented lessons along with pre-school education there. The centre located at Kamrangirchar has been operating for the last 15 years (since 2009) with the help of Summit Group.

Sajib was admitted in the centre back in 2012. His mother Reshma Begum said that Sajib’s interest in studies grew after being admitted at the centre. He also learnt to socialise with his peers there.

After studying and taking technical training at SEID-Summit Community Therapy Centre for three years, Sajib took admission in Kamrangirchar Model School. Everything was going well till class-III. But after that he was struggling to match the pace of studies with his classmates.

At one point he lost interest in going to school. As he dropped out of the school, Sajib’s family was worried about his future. At that time, Reshma Begum had to endure various snide comments about his son from relatives and neighbours.

Yet, she did not lose hope for she had this belief that even if Sajib could not continue with his studies for speech impediment, he would not be a burden on anyone. Later, he started working at the bag production factory in 2019.

Dilara Sattar Mitu, founder of this exceptional community therapy centre, said, “Utilising my knowledge and experience as a professional educationist and social worker, I am working to bring the underprivileged children with disabilities to the mainstream of the society. I am grateful to Summit Group chairman Muhammad Aziz Khan for they have been at our side for more than 12 years now.”

Production manager of Macca Plastic and Rubber Industries factory, Milon Biswas said, “Sajib works really well and he’s one of the five best employees of the factory. Though he cannot speak, he’s not lagging behind in work in any way.”

“When Shojib first came here, we used to have a bit of trouble in communication with him but we got used to it with time. Thanks to Sajib, two more employees with hearing impairment work at the factory now,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sajib’s mother Reshma Begum had always had high hopes for her son. She always wished that her son would not become a burden on anyone. Her dream has been fulfilled, as Sajib is self-dependent now. He now sends over Tk 10,000 to his mother every month.

While speaking about SEID, Summit Group chairman Aziz Khan said, “SEID Community Therapy Centre works with children who were born with neuro-developmental disabilities to ultra-poor families of the societies.”

“Every single child deserves to live in a beautiful world. It is our duty to build that world for them. I thank SEID. I believe investing on children is the most important investment of all,” he added,

Notably, though Sajib works in the factory now, SEID monitors him regularly.