Sometimes, it’s not really that easy to pick yourself up after an accident or failure, but a few people make it and become inspirations for others. Other times, after some terrible tragedy or heart breaking incident, most people lose hope, but some people never give up and become a role model for millions of others. Yes, I’m talking about Muniba Mazari, a woman who lives her life bound by a wheel chair but who still inspires others and creates positive change in society.
Muniba was born in 1987, but her life changed in 2007 when she was in a horrible car accident. Her whole body was badly injured and her legs were completely paralyzed for the rest of her life. She was continuously bedridden for two years. In these hard times, her husband divorced her, seeing her as a disable person. Even Muniba’s father left the family in these trying times. It was then that Muniba decided to fight back and decided to turn her weaknesses into strengths.
According to Muniba, the years spent in hospital were the worst years of her life, as she had to depend on others for even a glass of water. Sometimes, she woke up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty, but had to spend the whole night without any water since she didn’t want to disturb the others by waking them up. After being in bed for two years, she was allowed to use a wheel chair.
“I was so happy when I sat in a wheelchair for the first time,” said Muniba. “So what if I lost my legs? I have two wheels now,” she said. That’s when her life took a U-turn. Doctors encouraged her to continue working toward her dreams and passion, ie, painting. Soon Muniba herself earned a name in the field of art and proved that a wheelchair can’t stop you from achieving your goals. Today, she’s known as one of the best painters and artists in Pakistan. Her medium is oil pastels and her brand name is Muniba’s Canvas, with the slogan of “Let your walls wear colors.”
Today, Muniba has received several awards and is currently giving motivational speeches at different conferences across the world. She represents Pakistan on the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list of top young leaders, successful entrepreneurs and game changers from around the world.
Her other achievements include:
– brand ambassador for the Body Shop
– miracle mentor for Pond’s
– wheelchair model for Tony & Guy
– on of the BBC 100 Inspirational Women 2015
Muniba has also been selected as a UN goodwill ambassador in Pakistan and she is working for women empowerment across the country. Lots of people see inspiration in her life story and she gives different TED talks, too.
