Muhammad Ibrahim Shakir- a person with Down Syndrome is also a person with a lot of determination !
Born in Saudi Arabia, he was attending special schools, therapy classes and training schools. He started picking up and learning basic skills and daily activities – like basic reading, math and numbers, speech therapy, personal hygiene and fine motor skills.
His parents Mr. Abdul Azeez Saleem Shakir and Mrs. Aeysha Fathima were very strong and were very supportive from the time he was born. They gave him the much needed attention during the development stages which helped while he was growing up.
Back to Chennai in 2010, he enrolled at V-Excel Educational Trust, where he started getting trained in various skills like weaving, block printing, napkin making, warli painting, paper cup and paper bags making. He picked up baking and cooking skills. He also volunteered for the initiative of ‘Cafe Samarth‘, worked both in the kitchen and hospitality front. He was eager to learn computers and he has learnt basics of Microsoft Word. He can write out a letter and also do simple works in an Excel sheet.
In 2014, Ibrahim received the “Pathway Vocational Excellence Award” on December 3rd (World Disability Day). Pathway, a well-known NGO of Chennai, celebrated December 3rd (World Disability Day)in a unique manner. They honoured intellectually challenged young adults for achieving independence in skill training, both in individual as well as group work. The Pathway Award for Independence in Skill Achievement (Individual Category) was awarded to intern Ibrahim for Block Printing. He was awarded a certificate, a cash prize and a camera mobile phone. Ibrahim received a mixie in addition to that.
Ibrahim was also developing skills for interacting with people. He was becoming more social and making new friends. He was getting involved in group activities and social activities and was volunteering at events. His pleasant smile, his well behaved manners and interest to interact with people, helped him to get a full-time employment in the Copper Chimney Restaurant, thanks to the dedicated efforts of his parents. From then on, his enthusiasm at work improved tremendously. His compliance with instructions became better and his work speed improved. His academic skills progressed and adapted to the point where he could fill forms.
In 2019, Pearl Dentistry wanted to have a unique inauguration of a unit of their Dental clinic by inviting a young adult with special needs. As senior most trainee Ibrahim was sent from V-Excel and he inaugurated the unit.
Today Ibrahim is a very busy person. He makes paper bags and covers, and supplies to all the near-by local stores and pharmacies. He juggles with 2 jobs in Hospitality sector – He works at Copper Chimney and Writers Cafe in Chennai.
Apart from his work, Ibrahim has picked up many interests and hobbies over the years. He has a card collection and Shahrukh Khan’s photo collection. He has interest in music and dance and loves to watch action movies. He loves to go cycling and to the gym. He is religious as well and does his prayers 5 times a day and happily fasts during the month of Ramadan. He likes to do all his works personally. Has a keen sense of dressing and never forgets to walk out of the house without his signature cap. He independently goes to all the local stores and supermarkets.
Ibrahim has demonstrated and proved that – yes it may be a little difficult, and yes it may take some time, but It’s Possible!
“Being a special person with Down syndrome has not stopped me from living my life like any other human being. I love movies, music and more than anything I love being around people to make new friends” – Muhammad Ibrahim Shakir.
Quoting a little from the progress report from V-Excel Educational Trust.
Report of Muhammad Ibrahim Shakir for the period November 2010 to December 2019 –
“Ibrahim joined the Vocational Training Unit (VTU) of V-Excel Educational Trust in November 2010. He was 24 and had previously schooled and trained at the International Indian School, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. When Ibrahim came into the training program at Vocational Training Unit, in the area of academics he could:
Copy write personal details
write three-letter words
read letter by letter
Count meaningfully up to 10
do simple addition by counting circled objects
Ibrahim was well-mannered, but shy and non-participative in group activities. His attention span was limited and he tired very easily.
During the first year at VTU, Ibrahim was introduced to the paper cup making process.
Activities were included for improving his fine motor skills. He was given training in following one-step instructions and his work was constantly monitored. In academics, he learnt to feed simple data on a computer and to familiarize himself with Microsoft Excel. His reading improved to ‘word-by-word’. He improved in arithmetic and was able to add by count. He was part of a group of trainees who were taken on an annual outstation trip but he seemed ill at ease and did not sleep well. He was also a bit resistant to inclusion.
Today – Ibrahim comes across as a pleasant and friendly gentleman, whose compassionate nature has won him many friends. At work, he has developed an eye for near perfection. He is confident, and stays focussed for any given time. With proper guidance, training and a conducive work environment, Ibrahim now has the capacity to be part of an appropriate work group and has the potential to be a mentor to a special friend, and to eventually be a supervisor.”
Ar. Fayiza Shakir – his younger sister writes:
“Down syndrome. Just a word of awareness. It’s a genetic chromosomal disorder that happens right when the embryo is formed. It cannot be treated, and frankly speaking, why should it be? I grew up with an older brother who was born with ‘Down syndrome’ and maybe if I tell you a little about him, you’d know why he’s so special.
My mom had put up with a lot from her family when he was born, with her being labelled as ‘the woman with the mental kid’. She fought back and so did his siblings. But all my brother did was give them love. So much of it that as time went by, all the haters knew how true his emotions were and how wrong their hate was. Every ounce of our mother’s effort bore fruit with him growing up as a handsome young man who despite his so-called disability was irresistibly charming and independent in all walks of his life!
He’s like any older brother- scolds me for sleeping late, pushes me to apologize to mom when I mess up, wants to kill me for always wearing his clothes and oh-the kind of fights we have, especially for the TV remote. He’s OBSESSED with 2 things- Shah Rukh Khan and CID (on Sony).
You may wonder what it’s like, walking down the roads of Chennai, with a person who ‘normal’ people would label a visible ‘disability’. To be frank, he has way more friends than I do, he’s way more popular; policemen salute him while I’m driving him around, beat that! Born and brought up in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he was labelled ‘Sheikh Ibrahim’ by the people of the city we grew up in. Everyone knew him, everyone was his friend. He would happily be lunching with his friends on his way back from the mosque while we would be worried sick at home thinking what’s taking him so long to return! He was so popular that my dad, who had lived all of his adult life in Saudi Arabia, was known as ‘Ibrahim’s father’!
He’s a loving uncle of 6 kids and helps them out with their homework. A little bit of a diva sometimes though, loves the attention!
With the memory of an elephant, the bursting energy of a toddler, and always ready to extend a helping hand, he’s an independent man now, by God’s grace. He works 2 jobs simultaneously in the hospitality sector, at Copper Chimney and Writer’s Cafe and is as happy and satisfied as he can be. He always has a smile across his face. What else can we ask for?! Let us all celebrate the mothers, families and care takers who go the extra mile to support these beautiful souls!
Would I have liked to have a ‘normal’ brother?! With the kind of protective angel that I have by my side, every walk of my life till this second, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Love you Ibbu Bhaiyya.”
