With unforgettable shine and deep love in her eyes and a very genuine smile of deeply felt joy, she instantly said “I will roast these for my children” upon receiving two sacrificial lamb’s thighs on the Eid Ul Adha ,when I visited Darool Sakoon many years back to donate the meat of the sacrificial animal to the needy.
That was Sister Ruth Lewis, mother of differently-disabled people mostly young children. That was the most astonishing day of my life, as every year on Eid Ul Adha I would donate the meat of sacrificial animal to various organizations but never came across with such remarks and never encountered such a warmth and enthusiasm, first time I felt as my sacrificing of lamb has been accepted by Allah Subhan Tallah, and the meat has been delivered to the right person.
It’s a very common practice that people after sacrificing the animal keep the best part of meat for themselves, especially thighs which they roast and enjoy. Probably, she first time received complete thighs and was so happy so delighted and jubilated, and the instant thought she had was to roast them for children – the children disowned and abandoned by the biological parents for whom she was something more than a mother, a, loving affectionate and devoted with just one aim in life to provide comfort to her children not born out of her womb, to whom she had not given birth belonging even not from her religion or country of birth. Her religion was humanity; her country was the country of people in distress and agony, the sufferings and pain of those unknown or differently disabled young and old was her own pain.
Darul Sakoon was practically a house of peace, calm and tranquility. Situated in the mosh area of Kashmir Road, Karachi, the proud, arrogant, lofty and filthy riches of this country passing through this beautiful road in their most expensive limousines would never know that there exists a house over there where an elderly lady Sister Ruth after saying good bye to all the worldly comfort is busy in taking care of the children and adults abandoned by their near and dear ones
Like Abdul Sattar Edhi, she was no less than an angel on earth, a living example of sacrifice , and beyond words to express. She is a martyr as she, while not caring for her safety continued to look after and take care of almost twenty one children infected with COVID-19 and finally herself got infected with it, sacrificing her very precious life in saving the lives of her adopted children. The present pandemic COVID-19 is such a terrifying, gruesome and horrifying that even the real blood relations are scared of meeting or seeing a positive CIVID-19 patient, and abandon and isolate their very close love ones leaving them on the mercy of Almighty, but Sister Ruth nursed her children in the isolation room especially established in Darul Sakkon , knowing the dangers of contacting the virus, but how can a loving mother can sleep peacefully while her any child is in pain or sick, she never thought of her own pain or sickness, just the comfort and relief of her children in Darul Sakoon ,who were even unable to express their pain and agony was her only priority , a priority above her own life and health.
This is not the obituary of that great sister and mother but just a few words of tribute, a tribute to her selfless sacrifices for the suffering humanity
This is not the obituary of that great sister and mother but just a few words of tribute, a tribute to her selfless sacrifices for the suffering humanity. She was in real meanings an unsung hero, never appearing on electronic or print media, quietly without any publicity she continued with the noble task which the God Almighty had assigned her without for even a wish of a worldly gain or benefit, just dedicating her entire life selflessly for those in need. Her selfless services span over a period of fifty years taking care of mentally disabled people trying to make them feel as a useful segment of the society. She was the recipient of Pride of Karachi and Hakeem Saeed award. Her pride was not the awards but those four children who won medals in 1998 in the Special Olympics held in the USA.
Former prime minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was a frequent visitor to Darul Sakoon and would always take great interest in the work of Sister Ruth. For some she may have passed away but she will live forever in the heart and souls of those who are disabled in the eyes of their blood relations, in the eyes of their biological fathers and mothers in the eyes of their real brothers and sisters. The blood relatives had renounce them had deserted them had thrown them like a useless commodity like a used toilet paper but for Sister Ruth they were the most precious ones .she not only gave them shelter but provided them with deep and sincere love, a love with no boundaries a love with witch no desires were attached, which was deeper than seas which was crystal clean, and a true love never dies.
The government of Pakistan must award her highest civil award with financial help to Darul Sakoon. Many young students of Karachi very regularly carry out voluntary duties at Darul Sakoon during their vocations, the nation is proud of them, I remember my young very young nephew in his O Levels back in 1980s doing voluntary duties in Darul Sakoon, and always coming home with a smile on his face, a smile which Sister Ruth always had, a smile of hope and a feeling of contributing something for the comfort and wellbeing of those in need. We as a nation need that smile and hope, and that spirit of helping the suffering humanity, we need that soul like Sister Ruth of feeling pain for humanity irrespective of caste, religion color, gender or nationality. Rest in peace dear sister.
The writer is an ex-marine engineer