by Asma Ahmed
The publication in
March of 2008 of a rare photograph of Helen Keller with her teacher Miss Annie Sullivan generated worldwide interest. To this
day, we
continue to receive inquiries from all over the world.
In January of this year, David Lambert, our online genealogist, was
contacted
by a woman in Canada whose Pakistani friend met Helen Keller when Helen
visited
her school in Karachi in 1961. Our archivist, Tim Salls, contacted the
Pakistani
woman, Ms. Asma Ahmed, who was visiting family in Toronto at the time.
She has
kindly donated a photograph along with her account of meeting Helen.
One
often hears of rag to riches stories. But little did a young Pakistani
student
in her final year at St. Joseph High School (1959-1960) in Karachi,
Pakistan,
realize that when Helen Keller affectionately held both her cane and
Asma Ali’s
hand in hers, Asma was on her way to becoming part of history.
This photograph is unique because Helen has been photographed with
leading
world personalities; few even know that Keller was ever in Pakistan and
that too
in the last few year of her life. Why she chose to visit my school in
Pakistan
and that too in the twilight years of her life, further enlightens this
photo’s
significance.
I was assigned to take her on a tour of the school. She took in the
scent of
the flowers in the garden, went to various classrooms, and took
questions from
students. Her quick and precise answers, amazing personality, vast depth
of
knowledge and the ease with which she was able to communicate with both
old and
young in spite of being left blind and deaf at the young age of one and a
half
year, is indeed difficult to put into words.
This world famous author and humanitarian is indeed a beacon of light
for the
entire world. Helen Keller proved by example that nothing is impossible,
no goal
unachievable and where there is a will there is a way.
My children and grandchildren can learn from her life that dreams do
come
true. Helen Keller’s patience, perseverance and hard work are a shining
example
for the rest of the world and have few parallels in history.
|