User:Riffatrehena/sandbox

Mrs. Riffat Rehana, a mother of three deaf children, was an iconic symbol for rehabilitation and education of deaf and dumb in Pakistan. Her quest to learn how to teach her children, drove her to the Shah Faisal center for HIC Islamabad, where she started as a trainee mother in the year 1990. Appreciating her interest and passion, the school management requested her to join as a PTA Teacher from the platform of Parent Teacher Association. Mrs. Riffat accepted the offer and joined as a PTA Teacher at Shah Faisal Center for HIC, Islamabad in 1990 without any salary, allowance or benefit. A meager amount as a transportation allowance was being paid to her out of limited resources of Parent Teacher Association. She never tried to become a government teacher to get pay and allowance and perks. Her target was services to the deaf for blessings of ALLAH, which she continued for twenty seven years, silently and smoothly. Her only asset was her students, numbered in hundreds, remembering her as their second mother.

In addition to her services as a teacher, Mrs. Riffat learned sign language to communicate with the deaf and became a sign language specialist and interpreter. She used her dual communication skills for parent counseling, rehabilitation activities for the deaf and mediation efforts among the deaf family disputes. Mrs. Riffat also remained on the board for compilation of curriculum for the deaf. As a unique character, Mrs. Riffat was free from all sort of greed, creed and race. Her only passion was services to the humanity and especially to the deaf and she spent all her life to follow her cause. Mrs. Riffat Rehana, a volunteer special education teacher of National Special Education Centre for Hearing Impaired Children, expired on 25th May, 2017, after twenty seven years public service (From 1990 to June, 2017). Five days before her death, she was on her duty, following her passion, and teaching her deaf students in the school. Mrs. Riffat spent all her whole life for deaf education in Islamabad, Pakistan,  In order to recognize her tireless and blot less public services and to encourage other parents of disabled in Pakistan, the government  of Pakistan conferred posthumous “PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR PRIDE OF PERFORMANCE 2018”  in the field of public service upon her.