Ms. Kainaat with her Gold medals.
Ms. Kainaat	Ms. Kainaat & her mother during the interview.

KPDC: First of all we would like you to introduce yourself?

Kainaat: My name is Kainat Riaz, and I have participated in the swimming events of special games, held in the country as well as represented Pakistan at the international level. I have recently participated in the World Games, held in China. There I took part in 3 swimming categories; Relay, Free-style and Back Stroke. I secured Gold Medal in the Relay contest, Silver in the Free-style, and Bronze Medal in the Back Stroke. Apart from this I have taken part in a number of domestic events like City Games, National Games and Sindh Open. I have got training from the Karachi Club, Custom Club and the DHA Club. I only take part in swimming competitions and I don’t go to schools because I don’t like the kind of education being provided there. I have been doing swimming for the last 4 years now.


KPDC: Besides Swimming, what other activities do you like?

Kainaat: I like watching TV. I like Cartoons, especially the Tom And Jerry. I also watch dramas but I don’t understand them. I also played Basket Ball and Racing. But my major passion is swimming and I want to do better in it.



KPDC: What activities do you like, what is your favorite dish?

Kainaat: I like playing with my sisters. I have 2 sisters one is elder to me and the other one is younger than me. I like more playing with my younger sister. I like Biryani and Ice Cream in food. I also like playing computer games but I don’t know how to play them. I also like working at home and helping out my mother.



KPDC: What you want to be in future? What aim do you have?

Kainaat: I want to be a swimming coach, and I want to coach children who can’t do good swimming.



KPDC: What message do you want to give to the other children?

Kainaat: My message is ‘Love to all’.

Questions from Kainaat’s Mother:
 

KPDC: Tell us something about Kainaat’s brought up? her early days?

Kainaat’s Mother: When she was born she was like every normal child. She learnt walking, sitting, etc. normally like other babies, but she couldn’t speak for more than 21/2 years. I took her to the school and got her admitted there. She, somehow, passed the earlier classes with the help of teachers but when she came to Class I, she got failed. Then when she got to the age of 7, I took her to a brain specialist, Dr. Imtiaz. He conducted her IQ test, and then he revealed that Kainaat’s brain is not growing with her age. At that time she was 7 years old, but the doctor told me that her brain is only aged 42 weeks. Then I took her to the special children’s school. where she studied for 31/2 years. Then I admitted her back to the normal children’s school with her younger sister in Class II, but she couldn’t do the studies. I always wanted to provide my children as much education as I can but she has not been able to pursue her education. Then her school introduced her to the Special Olympics, it’s an international welfare organization for special children. There, they discovered Kainaat’s swimming skills and then they starting providing training to her. She got training from Karachi Club, DHA Club, and Custom Club. The Special Olympics provides these trainings without charging any fee, which is really encouraging for special children. Then they provided Kainaat chance to participate in World Games, recently held in China. As a whole, Pakistan participate in 9 out of 24 different sports events. A total of 160 countries participated in these games and Kainaat was among 4 swimmers which represented Pakistan. She got a Gold Medal in Relay style swimming, Silver in Free-style, and a Bronze medal in Back-Stroke. Since then she has become very busy in swimming events.

She doesn’t go to school, but learns recitation of the Holy Quran and she is progressing in it but very slowly. She has also learnt the Namaaz but she doesn’t offer it to the perfection.

She has 2 more sisters, both are normal. One of them is elder to Kainaat, she has done her Intermediate recently, and the other one is younger to Kainaat, she is studying in class 4.



KPDC: Where do you get support for Kainaat’s swimming activities? What response do you get from the Government of Pakistan?

Kainaat’s Mother: I really appreciate the efforts of Special Olympics, who have not only been providing free-of-cost training to the special children like Kainaat, but also bearing all expenses when she participates in an event held in a foreign country. They are fully supporting these special children. Special Olympics is an international welfare organization with branches in 160 countries around the world. Its main branch in Pakistan located at Punjab Colony, Karachi. This organization searches for the talented special children in various schools, and then they select some children. And they are doing all this with the help of the donations and funds which they collect from various people. They also provide jobs to those special people who want to be employed. But the government’s role has been truly disappointing. They are not doing anything for these children. Special Olympics and some other private organizations hold functions in the honor those special children who obtained medals at international level, such as, Rotary Club, Palmolive etc.

She has always been a very quite baby, never been as naughty as other normal kids. The only problem she produced for us was in studies. We tried our best to make her get on with her studies but she was unable to do it. Otherwise she is a very obedient, harmless child. She is a very hard-working child. She does her swimming training everyday for an hour, even she doesn’t care about the weather; no matter it is too hot or cold, she keeps on doing her training and Almighty Allah has answered all her handwork and gave her success at national level as well as international level.

They also offered a job for Kainaat in an office, where she will be paid as well as she can learn how to be at an office. They also say that if Kainaat shows talent they can appoint her as a swimming coach. So they are providing every possible opportunity for the welfare of special people.

Its my courage that I have taken her that far, otherwise, there are not enough opportunities for the special children in this country. I would do my best to keep on supporting her with her swimming career, because that’s the only aim in her life and I don’t want to let her down. Her father wanted her to go to school and carryout her studies but she was unable to do it. Her father was against her swimming but I said that that’s the only aim in her life and that makes her happy and help her grow.



KPDC: Does she have friends, like other children?

Kainaat’s Mother: Normal children don’t make friends the special children. That’s why Special Olympic organizes such events so that children with the same mental level can become friends. Thus, she has friends who also fall into the same category but they can also meet each other in during these events and can not have contacts on regular basis.



KPDC: What plans do you have for Kainaat in future?

Kainaat’s Mother: I only have plans to teach her the every-day house work so that it may be helpful for her in future. She likes working at home. She does dusting, iron, etc. but she doesn’t do cooking, because she is afraid that she will get burned.



KPDC: What message do you want to give to the mothers, who have special children?

Kainaat’s Mother: I want to give message to the mothers that there are some special children who are being neglected and locked up at home. I would like to request their mothers to please help them come out of this situation. And support them to go further in their life. I would request that don’t look at them as non-functional part of the society, because they can be proved out to be a very functional part of the society, just like Kainaat. Kainaat has made me proud more than my normal children.

Now-a-days, there are much more facilities available for special children at various schools specially made for them. Some of these schools are offering their services absolutely free; others are charging some fees for it. I would request all such mothers to admit their special children to these special schools. There, they will be provided with physiotherapy, speak therapy and other things which are essential for them to become a good useful human being.



KPDC: Thank you so much for being here and enlightening us with your thoughts. C U on Net.

Kainaat, Kainaat’s Mother : We enjoyed being here too. C U On Net 2.


Interview Panel

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