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    "result": {"pageContext":{"language":"en","pathURL":"zakiya-manzoor","isDefaultLanguage":true,"storyData":{"Name":"Zakiya Manzoor","Alt_Photos":null,"Alt_Text_Photo1":"Zakiya Manzoor (24) smiles as she stands on a rough concrete surface, holding a dark brown cricket bat in both hands and raising it to waist-level preparing to strike. A yellow ball is mid-air. Three yellow plastic stumps on a black plastic base form the wicket. Zakiya wears a lilac salwar-kameez printed with tiny black dots. A beige dupatta edged in brown and printed with black swirly motifs is wrapped around her head and neck with one end falling down her chest. She has ash-grey slippers on her feet. There is the façade of a building behind her, made of red exposed bricks.","Alt_Text_Photo2":"Zakiya sits cross-legged on a thick carpet, looking at the screen of a silver-coloured laptop placed on her lap. Her back rests against the smoky-grey wall with a crimson skirting. Her hands are on the keyboard. A separate black keyboard is on the carpet in front of her. The carpet is woven in a cream and coffee-brown design. She wears a three-fourth-sleeved pale bluish-violet salwar printed with a white floral design, and a kameez of pale bluish-violet and white stripes. A pale violet dupatta is wound around her head and neck. To the right, a charcoal grey backpack leans against the wall.","Alt_Text_Photo3":"Zakiya sits outdoors on a low cement ledge, washing her hands beneath a tap. The plastic tap has a blue valve and white curved mouth. It sticks out from a metal pipe attached to a plain cemented outdoor wall. Below the tap there is an ash-grey, circular, granite grinding stone with a cup-shaped depression in the centre. Zakiya wears a chocolate brown salwar-kameez printed in a floral design of red and beige.","Alt_Text_Photo4":"Zakiya, wearing her lilac salwar-kameez and beige dupatta, sits cross-legged on a thick, indigo blue carpet woven in a white floral design. Two square cushions covered in a crimson silken fabric are propped up, one on either side of her, against the sandalwood-coloured wall. In front of her there are two sky-blue porcelain vases shaped like pitchers, side by side. She is holding up a bunch of artificial flowers with long stems as if she is about to put them in the vase directly in front of her. The flowers are crimson roses with dark green leaves. The other vase already has a bunch of long-stemmed plastic flowers in it – dark pink chrysanthemums with dark green leaves.","Alt_Text_Photo5":"Zakiya’s extended family sits cross-legged in two rows on a carpet woven in a light grey, red and black design. All of them are smiling. Front row, left to right: Zakiya’s mother Jameela, Zakiya, father Manzoor Ahmad Sofi and uncle Farooq Ahmad Sofi. Second row: cousin Mohammad Arafat, mother’s sister Ishrat Jan, aunt Shahzada, cousin Mehreen Jan and brother Arsalan (20). Jameela wears a long, greyish-white kameez. It has a floral border of small red bunches of flowers and green leaves. Her dupatta has the same pattern and covers her head, shoulders and chest. Zakiya wears her lilac salwar-kameez and beige dupatta. Manzoor wears a mocha-brown kurta-pyjama. He has a stubbly white beard and moustache and cropped white hair. Farooq has a salt-and-pepper crop and a sparse, stubbly, salt-and-pepper beard and moustache. Arafat has a thick black mop of hair and is clean-shaven. He wears jade-green pants and a half-sleeved knitted shirt in a streaky pattern of grey, black and white. The three women all wear dupattas that cover the entire front half of their bodies and heads. Ishrat’s white dupatta is printed in a design of orange, green and yellow. Shahzada’s is ivory-white with a design of tiny pink and olive green floral motifs. Mehreen’s is jade green. Arsalan wears blue jeans and a black, half-sleeved knitted shirt. He has short black hair, beard and moustache. In the centre of the lime-green background wall there is a tall, wide, tan wooden wall unit made up of lockers, cupboards and a mirror in the middle.","Alt_Text_Video":null,"Photo1_URL":"https://egsweb.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Zakiya_Manzoor/_O2A1758.jpg","Photo2_URL":"https://egsweb.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Zakiya_Manzoor/_O2A1678.jpg","Photo3_URL":"https://egsweb.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Zakiya_Manzoor/_O2A1642.jpg","Photo4_URL":"https://egsweb.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Zakiya_Manzoor/_O2A1731.jpg","Photo5_URL":"https://egsweb.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Zakiya_Manzoor/_O2A1743.jpg","Name_English":"Zakiya Manzoor","Language":"en","Disability":["rec7wLjRz1nopX3Cz"],"Gender":"Female","Instagram_Content":"Zakiya Manzoor (24) from Jammu and Kashmir was born in Bijbehara as the daughter of grocery shop owner Manzoor Ahmad Sofi and homemaker Jameela. When her parents discovered she was visually impaired they took her to a school right in their own hometown – the Zaiba Aapa Institute, founded by Padma Shri awardee Javed Ahmad Taq. \n\nFrom Class 1 to Class 8, Zakiya studied in an inclusive environment but when she moved to a local mainstream school for Classes 9 and 10, she often questioned her abilities. However she pulled through with hard work and determination. Then Dr Mushtaq, a teacher who had studied at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), encouraged her to apply to AMU. She did so, was successful, and completed Class 11 and 12 there. She then did B.A. in History from the University of Delhi, and got into Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she did M.A. in History. Assistive software and screen-reading technology was initially hard to master but with practice she is so adept at it she says she cannot imagine life without it.\n \nWhen she is not studying or playing blind cricket, Zakiya enjoys listening to music. She loves both old and new Hindi and English songs. Her favourite song is Arijit Singh’s “Muskurane Ki Wajah Tum Ho” (you are the reason to smile) from the 2014 movie “Citylights”. A simple pleasure that always brightens her day is eating gol gappas! She is currently searching for employment. “My greatest wish is to secure a good job and fulfil my parents’ dream,” she says. She comes from a loving family with two brothers – one elder, Salman (28), a shop owner, and one younger, Arsalan (20), doing his MCA from Kashmir University. ","Quote":"“Hold on to your dream. It doesn’t happen in a day, but it will surely happen one day”","Status":"Published","Video":null,"Website_Content":"Zakiya Manzoor (24) from Jammu and Kashmir has always been fond of cricket. She used to enjoy playing with her schoolmates at the Zaiba Aapa Institute of Inclusive Education, using the specially designed blind cricket ball that makes a sound when in motion. Her enthusiasm for the game continued into college life and she even participated in matches during her time at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). She went to JNU? Yes, but we’re getting ahead of the story now. There were tricky moments in her life when she could have been ‘run out’ but she stayed on to score impressive victories. \n \nZakiya’s early schooling was trouble free. Most parents with disabled children have to search vigorously, and often far and wide, for an appropriate school. Zakiya was lucky. She was born in Bijbehara, the daughter of grocery shop owner Manzoor Ahmad Sofi and homemaker Jameela. When her parents discovered she was visually impaired they took her to a school right in their own hometown – the Zaiba Aapa Institute, founded by Padma Shri awardee Javed Ahmad Taq. \n \nFrom Class 1 to Class 8, Zakiya studied in an environment where she felt understood, supported, and encouraged to learn. But when she moved to a local mainstream higher secondary school for Classes 9 and 10, for the first time she was surrounded by mostly non-disabled students. Watching her classmates make notes, study independently, and move around with ease often left her feeling isolated and discouraged. “I often felt depressed and questioned my abilities,” she recalls. “But with my hard work and determination I pulled through.”\n \nA turning point came when Dr Mushtaq, a teacher who had studied at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), noticed her potential. He encouraged her to explore the opportunities available for visually impaired students in larger educational institutions such as AMU. Motivated by his words, Zakiya prepared for and cleared the entrance examination for AMU. She moved to Aligarh, where she completed her Class 11 and 12. For the first time, she experienced a truly inclusive educational environment. Students with and without disabilities studied together, and teachers treated everyone equally.\n \nZakiya’s academic journey continued. She secured admission to the University of Delhi, where she pursued a B.A. in History. Not content with this significant achievement, she sought admission to JNU. “Becoming a student at JNU remains one of the proudest moments of my life,” she recalls. “It was a dream I had once thought impossible, yet through perseverance and determination, I achieved it.” She completed her M.A. in History in 2025.\n \nTechnology played a crucial role in her educational success. As a visually impaired student, Zakiya learned to use assistive software and screen-reading technology. Initially, understanding and adapting to these tools was extremely difficult. The software language felt unfamiliar and complicated. However, with time and continuous practice, she mastered it so well that today she says, “I cannot imagine my life without it.” These tools became her gateway to knowledge, independence, and academic excellence.\n \nWhen she is not studying or playing cricket, Zakiya enjoys listening to music. She loves both old and new Hindi and English songs and often finds herself connecting deeply with melodies and lyrics. Her favourite song is Arijit Singh’s “Muskurane Ki Wajah Tum Ho” (you are the reason to smile) from the 2014 movie “Citylights”. A simple pleasure that always brightens her day is eating gol gappas!\n \nZakiya’s innings are not over, though. Despite earning degrees from premier institutions such as AMU, Delhi University, and JNU, she is currently searching for employment. While the job search has been challenging and sometimes disappointing, she remains hopeful. “My greatest wish is to secure a good job and fulfil my parents’ dream.” She comes from a loving family with two brothers – one elder, Salman (28), a shop owner, and one younger, Arsalan (20), doing his MCA from Kashmir University. \n \nThrough her experiences, Zakiya has learnt an important truth: Each person has unique strengths and talents, and with patience, hard work, and self-belief, those talents can shine. She says: “Nurture your hobbies, keep learning, and never give up on your dreams.”\n","State_name":"Jammu & Kashmir","Display_Order":277}}},
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