HENAN HAIRT

Morocco- Moroccan Selwa El-Xitabi has suffered from a congenital physical disability since she was born. Despite her disability, she has put her signature under important successes in the graphic and design field for five years. “When parents realized my disability, they raised me along with my siblings. Actually, I spent my childhood with my siblings. My parents did their best so that I wouldn’t understand the difference between me and my siblings,” said Selwa, who lives in the Sidi Bennour city of Morocco. She told us that she had goals and worked hard to achieve her goals, “I'm determined to challenge all the obstacles I have faced.”

“My family supported me”

Her family supported her to have a strong personality and a normal life, Selwa said, “My parents taught me how to face the reality in society and impose myself in society. They supported me to have a strong personality, who never gives up and surrenders. Staying at home was not a good way to achieve my dreams. But the schools that I went to weren’t suitable for people with physical disabilities. Unfortunately, the number of places, which are suitable for you, is very few.” And, Selwa had to leave school due to impossibilities in the schools.

“I can change the perceptions towards people with disabilities”

The access to information through the internet has changed Selwa’s life. She began to improve herself in a short time, especially in science, literature and language. Selwa now speaks English very well. She told us that she likes the colorful world of design on the internet and that she has entered the graphic and design field because she can design websites without difficulty. “It was a big adventure and struggle for me”, Selwa felt that she could change the perceptions towards people with disabilities as soon as possible.

“Sometimes failure is the key to success”

Selwa shared her first website designs on social media platforms and she received many criticisms. “Sometimes failure is the key to success, people can fail. No great success has been ever achieved without failure. In a short time, I have been professional in my job. Day by day, I have become an excellent designer. Today, I believe that my designs are liked by many people. My last work was designing the logo of a private radio station. The logo is liked by everyone. I am also interested in literature. I have written poems and shared them on my social accounts and they are liked very much.”

She receives many awards for her designs

Selwa was granted an award given by the Artists Without Borders Organization. She was also granted an honorary doctorate. She has an honorary certificate from the Peace Academy in Germany. “My message is for everyone. People should find their strengths. Each of us has unique characteristics. Never give up your dreams and longings. Nothing is impossible as long as we live. There is no life in  desperation.”