Ahmed lost his father when he was 1- year-old. His father was a policeman who died in the line of duty and was posthumously awarded with the Order for Bravery. While Ahmed cannot remember him, he tells his mother that he wants to be a policeman one day also. “I want to get the bandits,” he used to say.

In May 2004, however, his dream was shattered. One day on his way home from school, Ahmed accidentally stepped on a land mine that exploded beneath his feet. In Chechnya, it is estimated that there are still more than 500,000 unexploded land mines and up to 10,000 victims of explosions. Ahmed is just one of many children who have been hurt by these dangerous hazards.

The explosion left Ahmed fighting for his life, requiring a life-saving emergency operation on his head that he had within six hours. Since then, he has had to travel to Grozny for four more operations and to Moscow for three more. Even today, he still requires additional operations. Despite the hard work of his doctors and nurses, Ahmed is physically disabled and unable to walk. He also cannot talk, read, write, or count.

Following this tragic accident, the family’s circumstances dramatically changed. Ahmed’s mother, Zulai, and his four sisters now spend all their time caring for him. Given the harsh condition of their one-bedroom house - which has no running water or sewerage system – their task is even more difficult. In between caring for him at home, they have to endure many trips to various doctors, hospitals and specialists. Many of these are hundreds of miles away.

Islamic Relief ’s Orphan Sponsorship Program contributes toward alleviating child poverty in the world’s poorest communities. For children such as Ahmed, the program aims to take care of the orphan’s needs in terms of their health, education and social welfare. And while Ahmed may never grow up to be the bandit wheeling policeman he once dreamed to be, he still has a chance at a hopeful future thanks to the money his family receives for his orphan sponsorship.