An inspiration for us all

Sometimes, it’s not that easy to pick yourself up after an accident or failure, but a few people manage to do so and become inspirations for others. Other times, most people lose hope after a horrific disaster or heartbreaking experience, yet other people never give up and become role models for millions. “The iron lady of Pakistan”, Muniba Mazari is a lady who, while being confined to a wheelchair, continues to inspire others and affect positive social change.

Muniba Mazari Baloch was born on 3 march March She is a singer, model, activist, motivational speaker, and TV personality, among other things. She also serves as UN Women Pakistan’s National Ambassador. Muniba Mazari is from a Baloch family. She has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and can draw and paint. Though she had not completed her studies, she married at age 18 for her father’s sake. In 2007, Muniba met with a horrible car accident on her way to her hometown. By jumping out, her husband was able to save himself. But her entire body had been severely damaged, her legs were entirely 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 disabled person. Muniba’s father also abandoned the family during these tough times. Muniba was determined to fight back and turn her weaknesses into strengths at that point. Muniba claims that her years in the hospital were the worst of her life since she had to rely on people for even a sip 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 wheelchair.

“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 pursue her aspirations and passions, such as art. Muniba quickly made a name for herself in the art world, proving that being in a wheelchair does not prevent you from achieving your dreams. She expresses herself through her paintings. She has exhibited her work, including exhibitions that lasted six days. She is presently regarded as one of Pakistan’s finest painters and artists. Muniba’s Canvas is her brand name, with the slogan of “Let your walls wear colours” and her medium is oil pastels. A little boy named Nael Mazari, that she adopted when he was 2 years old, is another accomplishment of hers.

Muniba has since garnered numerous honours now delivering motivational speeches at various conferences across the world. She represents Pakistan on the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 lists of top young leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and game-changers from around the world. Muniba has also been appointed as a United Nations goodwill ambassador in Pakistan, where she promotes women’s empowerment throughout the country. Her life story has inspired many people, and she has given TED presentations on various topics. She was one of two Pakistanis chosen to the BBC’s 100 most inspirational women list in 2015, and she now works as an occasional anchor for PTV, where she was the network’s first wheelchair-using anchor. Muniba is also the head of CSR for Chughtai Labs and the first wheelchair-using model for Toni&Guy in Pakistan.

Gimhani Palipana
Faculty of Science