What inspired you to enter the World NTD Day Story telling competition?

The inspiration behind taking part in this competition was the condition of my city which deteriorates each passing day. I wanted to speak out about the challenges that my city is facing and highlight the problems at an international level and while doing so,contribute to spreading awareness about neglected tropical diseases.

Why does fighting NTDs matter to you?

I think it is high time for us to take action to control these global health crises as health and life do matter. I myself have been a victim of these diseases and I can feel the pain. This is the time to unite on one platform to fight these NTDs.

How do you intend on continuing the fight against NTDs after this competition?

The city in which I live is suffering from critical conditions and the poor sanitary condition of my city is the root cause of NTDs. YCNTDs indeed provided a great platform where I can raise my voice and highlight the issue of my area.

While making my documentary. I came to find out that the basic sanitary conditions of my people are worse than I expected. My plan is to visit the areas again to make the people aware about basic sanitation and teach the people living in these slum areas about sanitation such as how to boil water properly, the importance of washing their hands and how to do it as well as the importance of cooking their food properly.I also plan to spread awareness through social media platforms.

I commit to continue raising my voice and encouraging other young people to join the fight against NTDs.

What would be your request to your country’s leaders regarding fighting NTDs?

The water supplied in some parts of my city is undrinkable and I happened to witness people drinking the same smelly and extremely dirty water. The whole city is filled with tons and tons of garbage on the roads, water drainage supply is very poor and there’s a lot of stagnant water on the streets especially after it rains. I would request the leaders of my country to make the sanitary conditions better by supplying clean water for drinking as people are dying. This should be done in addition to cleaning the city and developing the drainage system as such measures can prevent half of the diseases from spreading. I would love to see the government start promoting basic sanitation awareness programs to people and initiating some welfare programs.