Kunwar Ram is an eight-year-old boy from Tando Allayhar in Pakistan who was born completely blind.
Kunwar was born to Hindu parents, Raja Ram and Radhe, who were forced to flee Pakistan in 2014 due to
religious persecution. After arriving in India, Kunwar was taken to Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital where
he was diagnosed with anophthalmia, a birth defect where a baby is born without both eyes and ocular
structures.
Kunwar is part of a family of six; his mother is currently expecting her sixth child. His parents had earlier
given up one of his sisters, Rajnandani, to their relatives for adoption. There is only one earning member in
the family, his father Raja, who works as a mobile cover vendor earning an average monthly income of Rs.
4,000 while his mother is a homemaker. The family’s expenses average Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 per month.
All of Kunwar’s siblings are enrolled in the local government school.
Unlike his siblings, Kunwar received neither formal education nor special education at any point in his life
but can communicate verbally in Hindi. In 2016, an organization approached his family to have him enrolled
in a boarding school for children with special needs. Since Kunwar would have to live away from his family
at such a young age, his parents refused citing concerns for his safety and well-being.
His parents also tried enrolling him in a local government school. The school required his mother to attend
classes with him and explain to him all that was being taught. As this was neither a feasible option for
Kunwar who requires special education nor his mother who has other young children to look after, he could
not be enrolled.
Although Kunwar has been completely blind since birth, he uses his remaining senses to their utmost ability
and is particularly fond of singing. He generally lives in isolation from people outside his family and is
dependent on his parents for all of his needs. His parents are hopeful for Kunwar’s future and have requested
assistance to enrol him in special education classes for the blind. Click here to read more about him.