Muhammad’s Journey with Displacement and Walking Again

My name is Muhammad Naji Awaid. I am 60 years old, and I live in the coastal city of Al-Mokha in Yemen’s Taiz governorate. I was living a normal life with my wife and children. I had a modest house and I worked in construction for a daily wage of USD 20; prices for goods were cheap, and life was stable.

But when the conflict broke out in our country, my family and I were forced to flee our home and move around between different displacement camps. Our lives had changed completely, and I struggled to find any kind of work to support us all.

One day, I was out looking for work, and while I was walking, the ground underneath my feet exploded – I had stepped on a landmine! I was unconscious and bleeding on the ground for hours and was close to losing my life when a passing farmer found me and informed some people living in the area that I needed urgent help.

When I arrived at the hospital, my health condition was very dire because of the amount of blood I had lost. After the doctors provided emergency interventions, they decided that the only way to possibly save my life was to amputate one of my feet. I remained unconscious and in a coma for a week due to complications caused by the extreme blood loss, but eventually, my condition began to improve. When I woke up, I was very sad and worried when I realized that I had lost my foot. How would I ever be able to work again to provide for my children?

My life stopped completely after the incident. For a whole year, I spent my days lying in bed in a shelter made of straw – unemployed, my seven children there with me. We were really in a very difficult, almost hopeless situation, until one day, one of my neighbors told me about KSrelief’s Artificial Limbs Center. He said that the center would take care of all transportation expenses to and from Taiz, and would also provide free housing and food. They would also, I learned, provide me with an artificial limb free of charge!

As I traveled to Taiz, I felt hopeful for the first time since I was injured. When I arrived at the center, the medical team went right to work, taking measurements for my new prosthetic device and assembling it right there at the facility. I had never expected to be able to stand on my own again, and this was like a miracle to me! When I first started to use the prosthetic, movement was difficult, but with the center’s rehabilitation specialists working with me, I was soon able to walk again! I am very happy now, because I have my life back, and am so very grateful for the help I’ve received.