Khaberni - The principal of the first elementary school at Meqwa center in Al-Jouf region, Saudi Arabia, Najla Al-Daqdoqi, embodied altruism and professional responsibility. She decided against her transfer that would have moved her to her residence in Sakaka, preferring to stay to support a blind student at the beginning of her educational journey. Over nine years, Al-Daqdoqi traveled a daily distance of approximately 300 kilometers to and from Meqwa, which is 150 kilometers away, leaving Sakaka before dawn and returning at sunset, in a challenging journey she hoped would end with a transfer decision that would bring her closer to her family.
The issuance of the transfer decision coincided with the integration of the blind student Muzn Al-Sharari into the third-grade class. The principal noticed the student's fear and confusion during her first days at school, and what she needed in terms of stability and psychological and educational support, which put her at a crossroads.
The decision became a human commitment. Al-Daqdoqi took the initiative to learn Braille, utilizing her expertise in sensory development for children. Together with the student’s mother, she explored teaching methods to enhance the blind student's abilities and support her integration with her classmates.
Growth, confidence, and self-reliance
Over time, the student began to show signs of excellence, gaining more self-reliance, and becoming better at interacting and learning, which reinforced the principal's conviction of her decision's correctness, and led her to refuse the transfer despite the completion of its official procedures.
Al-Daqdoqi said in an exclusive interview for «Alarabiya.net»: "I felt that the decision was not to be measured by what suited me, but by what would happen in the heart of a child who lost her sight but not her trust in those around her. I realized that my departure could mean losing security for her, so I chose to stay, because some decisions are made with the heart before the mind." Her decision was not based on personal interest.
She added that the difficulty of the journey was not a barrier, saying: Every road I traveled was filled with fatigue, but it was also filled with meaning. As long as there is a child's smile at the end of the road waiting for someone to hold her hand, all distances became bearable.
"Braille taught me to see with the heart"
She emphasized that learning Braille was a profound human experience, noting that "Braille did not just teach me to read with dots, but also how to see with the heart, making me more convinced that the real disability is being unable to embrace."
She recalled a touching situation with the student, saying: "One day she told me: Teacher, you told me I have a palace in heaven, and I'm reserving a room for you in my palace", confirming that those words made all the fatigue and tough decisions worthwhile and meaningful.
Family and institutional support
Al-Daqdoqi noted that her initiative received support from the student's family and appreciation from the local community, along with backing from educational authorities, represented by the Al-Jouf Education Department, which provided an additional incentive to continue.
At the end of her talk, she sent a message to teachers, saying: "Students may not remember the lessons, but they will always remember how they felt with their teachers. The educational responsibility is to be security and hope in the lives of our students."
Official praise for the initiative
In the same context, Prince Faisal bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, governor of the Al-Jouf region, received the school principal, in the presence of the Director-General of Education in Al-Jouf, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, and was briefed on the details of her humanitarian initiative, which Prince Faisal praised for providing an educational and human model that embodies the values of giving and responsibility, and reflects the distinctive initiatives of the sons and daughters of the Al-Jouf region, contributing to the service of the community and enhancing development.
