ISLAMABAD: Their eyes are their ears, their hands are their mouth. At a roadside food joint in an upscale area of Islamabad, a group of hearing impaired men using sign language confidently sell western and Arabic fast food to earn a decent living.
The business, Aa Kay Khao, which means “come and eat,” is run by Muhammad Mobeen, 33, who in early childhood contracted meningitis, which left him deaf.
Employed at an insurance company, where he was a data entry officer, Mobeen grew frustrated watching how the hearing impaired were unable to get jobs in the government and private sector. He took it upon himself to create a platform for them to earn their livelihood.
Relying on his own savings and family support, Mobeen started the food business and employed only deaf workers. Gradually, the enterprise expanded and he now offers catering services also to schools.
Mobeen’s goal is to empower every hearing impaired person in the country and to make them equal stakeholders in the business.
This is his story, covered first by Arab News. Watch this video report on a noble cause with a big plan.
