I had had some chances to visit foreign countries but due to unavailability of time I had missed those chances. I am feeling lucky that Japan is my first visit abroad. Because it was my first time abroad, I was little afraid about how to manage getting on and off the airplane.

As I was working with Japanese people in Pakistan I had some knowledge about Japanese behavior, way of living, customs, religion etc. But it was not enough for staying with foreigners for a long time and living with trainees from 6 different countries – which was a memorable experience.

After landing at Kansai International Airport, the staff of the JSRPD and the Duskin Ainowa Foundation greeted me at the airport. I had a very warm welcome and that became the best memory of my life. From the airport my training started. I had no experience of an international flight before; and on departure the ground staff loaded me onto the plane like a dead body, but it was very surprising for me when I left the plane and observed great accessibility at Kansai International Airport.

In early September the Japanese language class started. I had never studied Japanese language so it was very difficult. Compared to the other trainees I was the weakest student of Japanese language during the whole three-month course. Because of my weakness in Japanese I had to do a lot of homework every day and could not go out. Most of the teachers were well experienced and very kind so little by little my Japanese improved. I was afraid whether I would pass the Japanese language test which was planned on December 10, but with the grace of God, I passed with grade N5 of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test.

In the whole Duskin leadership training program the most important component is individual training, where each trainee goes to different places. In the individual training program the trainees receive training on what they want to study, or how they want to be as disability leaders in their own countries.

The result of the individual training is determined by whether or not each trainee has a good plan and clear ideas for the individual training. If they do, nobody can stop them from becoming future leaders of disability movement, because they get the best leadership training, ideas and skills from great Japanese disability leaders.

With the consensus of Ms. Okuhira Masako and my beautiful training coordinator I prepared my whole individual training program. I am proud that I prepared good contents. I got training at the most famous places of disability movement in Japan.

For my first individual training, I visited Kumamoto C.I.L for a period of two weeks. This was my first experience to visit a CIL in Japan; the staff of the CIL was very friendly and we became very good friends. Kumamoto CIL was the only place of my training determined by training coordinators, because in the first three months we stayed only around Tokyo, and got an image that Japan is a totally barrier free country, but the real situation was totally different. After visiting Kumamoto I understood that the countryside of Japan is still not 100 percent barrier free.

At the CIL I studied human rights, about anti-discrimination laws, and about negotiations with the government. I also had a chance to meet the governor of the Kumamoto Prefecture. Sometimes I call my Kumamoto friends.

After the ski program I went to DPI Japan for a two-week training with my Mongolian trainee friend.

I was very excited to visit DPI Japan; I learned same things as before but in more detail. I prepared my business cards in Braille by myself which was a good experience. If you are working in a small office sometimes the staff may not get along with each other. I was really impressed with the DPI staff members because they were working in a small office but they were best friends.

I had a wish to visit Mainstream Association, basically famous as a CIL but actually they are not only a CIL, they have a sweet lifestyle. I was very impressed that everybody was working hard for disability movement, and they have a mission, aim and objectives. They have one of the best disability movements in the world. I was engaged in disability movement in my country but it seemed to be only paperwork, no real action. The staff at Mainstream was very funny, friendly, and kind; I felt that I was with my family.

Before going to Mainstream I disliked IL, and I was thinking that it was not necessary to have IL in Pakistan because of my lack of knowledge and experience with IL. After two and half months at Mainstream I became one of the fans of IL because of their unique training style, where I did not learn about IL and CIL by lectures or workshops. In the Mainstream’s system first I had a chance to talk about the training contents with Kadota san, and in the first week I did not have any training program. During this week I made many new friends at Mainstream. Every day we talked until midnight and hung out. I feel that this system is best, because I, who disliked IL, became an IL fan. I think that if I had lectures or workshops on IL I could have disliked IL more.

Mainstream Association, I am in love with you so much! I hope that our friendship with Mainstream Association will make Pakistan a disability-friendly country and society in policy making and physical infrastructure.

Finally I went to Japan Council of Independent Living and Human Care Association for a period of three weeks in May 2011.

I am feeling very lucky that I had an opportunity to learn from the most famous disability leader in Japan, who is the founder and President of the first IL centre in Japan.

My training program at JIL and Human Care Association was very unique. I did not study contents like human rights, laws, IL, CIL, in lecture style during the three weeks. But I studied these components in a very different way.

I visited different places with Mr. Shoji Nakanishi to learn about the human rights, laws, IL, CIL, and style of conducting seminars, events and negotiation with government officers.

During the New Year vacation I went to Kochi Prefecture for home stay, my family was the early members of Japan’s disability movement. I studied a lot about disability during the home stay period.

Even though it was a very short period, they hosted me like my own parents. I am happy that I have a Japanese mother and father now. My Japanese parents’ home was near the sea, so I went to the sea often and enjoyed fishing. Every day I had very delicious and enjoyable food. I want to invite them to my wedding in Pakistan. Hope I can visit them again.

Since childhood I had always loved and participated in many kinds of sport in Pakistan. During the ten-months training program I engaged myself in swimming, marathons, skiing, and track and field.

I had never swum with females, so I was feeling very shy at first. Also I had never skied before, so it was very exciting and enjoyable.

In June 2011 I participated in Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s sports competition in two types of sport, received two gold medals, and made a new record in Tokyo.

I am planning to open a new Disabled People’s Organization and Independent Living Centre, and with the opening of these two I would like to strengthen Pakistan’s disability movement and disabled people’s network. I want to set my personal future as a human rights activist, policy maker and a disability movement leader in near future. I will also continue my volunteer activities for my previous workplace, JICA. I will dedicate my life to disability movement to make this world a universal place.

In the ten-month training program I learned so much including human rights, laws, policies, planning, and IL. By studding these things and having many new experiences I came up with new ideas and new type of leadership. I came up with new ideas and acquired leadership skills.

My hidden leadership qualities came out and my self confidence, capacity building, self empowerment for self decision, leadership, knowledge on disability, and leadership skills improved. Now I have a number of best friends from Japan. After this training program, I have more responsibilities on my shoulders.

I would like to thank the Duskin Ainoawa Foundation for granting me an opportunity to participate in such a wonderfully organized training program. Also I would like to thank JSRPD, especially my beautiful coordinator for her efforts and struggle in organizing my training program. Today I am who I am because of you, great people!

After climbing a hill I feel that there are many more hills to climb….

I learned

I cannot be more than me and I should not be less than me

I should be as I am

Thank you very much Japan!