Mahmoud Ben Khalfan Ben Masoud Al-Hemhaami was born in Saturday 9/4/1977 in Muscat, Oman. He had a normal childhood as he didn't suffer from any sight problems at that time. He was the third son to his parents and was very much loved by his parents, relatives and neighbors. He was clever, sensitive and a stubborn child.
Mahmoud joined Sultan Ben Ahmed Primary School in 1986, a close school to his house to which he went on foot. He was a hard working student and always the first in the class. In his second grade, he was chosen the Excellent Student. He liked school's activities and social work. He was a member in the school radio team, journalism team, painting team, school scouts, and he always invested in the cafeteria fund.
Mahmoud graduated from High school in 1998 with an average score for many reasons such as partially losing his sight and the operation he had in one of his eyes. After his health settled, he joined Islamic Sciences Institute in Muscat and graduated with High Diploma in Islamic Sciences with Excellency.
Sunday 29/10/1998 was the first work day for Mahmoud. He worked in the Commercial Court as Declaration Writer for more than four years, then he moved to the Court of Appeal. In 2005, Mahmoud moved to the main building of the Ministry as a Telephone Operator and Receptionist after he lost his sight. This incident was a new source of strength to Mahmoud. He considered it a new source of strength Allah awarded him to discover all his hidden abilities which he managed to develop and turn his disability into energy that provided him with abilities and talents looking for a promising life and bright future. In 2006, he moved to the Public Relations Department, Ministry of Justice as an Administrative Affairs Clerk and in Charge of Hospitability Services.
Mahmoud lives in a small house in Matrah City, an old city with an old market. It also has a Cornish with beautiful streets next to Qapoos Port.
He is married with 3 daughters: Bayan is 8 years, Ghaidaa is 7 years and Fatima is 2 years. He is a social person and loves his family and visits them. He is active in his area and likes to serve people and participate in their different occasions and events and help needy people.
Mahmoud believes that the real measure of the word "Achievement" is the positive impact of any achievement on the person and his society and the benefits he has contributed with in the human civilization and nations' advancement. His biggest achievements are getting elected as a chairman of Al-Noor Association for the blind for the years 2007-2009, getting elected as the president of Middle East Region in the Asian Blind Union in 2008, and obtaining High Diploma with Excellency. He is one of the Arab Blind Union's founders and participated in writing its Statute.
Mahmoud realized the importance of success and identifying ambitions, goals and mission in life. Therefore he set up goals for himself based on his abilities and hopes, and set up short and long terms plans, including:
Wishing to have a fine life conclusion at death, having his Master Degree and then PhD in Religion Science or Arabic Language, getting promoted at work to be a counselor, receiving a world prize in the field of social services and volunteering work, invent useful devices for blind, work to establish a center for strategic studies and scientific research specialized in solving and dealing with the main issues of persons with disability, build a mosque to be an attraction point for knowledge and call to Islam, produce tapes of Quran and Islamic songs, write a poem of at least 500 lines.
Mahmoud likes to write books, reading, swimming, walking, trips and travelling, and chanting and singing.
Mahmoud thanks the technology for the new vision and wild space it offers to the blind in different fields. Blind nowadays play a crucial role in the contemporary society as he became able, using technology, to practice many jobs and professions which previously used to be dreams and limited to a limited group of people. Blind people got the chance to learn so they started to spend hours in front of the monitor in surfing the internet, sending emails, reading digital books, encyclopedias, newspapers and magazines. They can now read SMS and search for a specific name and phone number.
Mahmoud narrates his personal experience: "Four years After I lost my sight, I first felt depressed and afraid of the bitter future awaiting me ahead especially after I was shifted to the job of telephone operator in the Reception, leaving the job I loved and worked in for more than 8 years. But what happened was against all my negative expectations. I started to read more about the most important and cutting-edge science inventions and assistive devices that would enable me to continue my life normally. I was convinced that there was no space for despair and drawing back, so I decided to continue the way to achieve my goals and ambitions. I requested to register in an advanced computer course and speaking software. After a short period I received the approval and joined the course and achieved a great success and became able to use the different computers with competency that drew the press attention and praise. Now I have been promoted from a telephone operator to Administrative Affairs Clerk, and responsible for the hospitability reservations of the Ministry of Injustice. I have a laptop and a mobile. Astonishingly, I didn't even know how to turn a computer on before I lost my sight."
Mahmoud says: "Volunteering is a noble message that should exist within a set of principles and responsibilities of all those living in human society." Volunteering has a significant status in Mahmoud's life. He spent a part of his life volunteering sincerely in serving his society and grew up practicing it since his early childhood through serving his elder brother who lost his sight 16 years before he did.
Mahmoud continued his volunteering work in the civil organizations. He loved the volunteering work before he lost his sight 11 years ago as he was a role model for young volunteers. His efforts were summoned in the year 2007 when he was honored to lead the volunteers in his country by chairing Al-Noor Association for Blind. He is also a member in more than one Arab and international associations and federations around the world.
Finally, Mahmoud says: "if every person owns a goal and a sincere intent to achieve it. You have to know that Allah rewards us on our intents, so those who work for this life will be reward for it only, and those who work for the sake of Allah will be rewarded in this life and hereafter.
To contact Mahmoud:
Email: albayan7008@hotmail.com
Website: www.alnoor4blind.org.om
Phone: 0096899077783/ 24481551
Muscat- Sultanate of Oman
Added in 24/6/2010