Sharjah: Good Samaritans have helped a blind jobless father with bank loans to settle his dues and travel home.
The Sri Lankan father of four lost his eyesight six months ago, became jobless and got a travel ban imposed on him when he failed to pay his loans to different banks he borrowed money from.
Mohammad Mansour, 47, got help from Gulf News readers who decided to help him go back home.
Mansour travelled to Sri Lanka on Monday night through Sharjah airport with his family after the founder and the chairman of Pure Gold Jewellers read his story in Gulf News and decided to help him.
"My heart felt the hopelessness of Mansour when I read the article in Gulf News. I decided to help him by all ways I can. We are very happy that Mansour was able to fly back to Sri Lanka. We wish him a new and healthy life," Firoz Merchant, founder and chairman of Pure Gold Jewellers told Gulf News.
Merchant added: "We decided to pay all his loans and we did. We bought him and his family air tickets to travel home and he was given money to buy gifts for his family back home and also to support himself and pay the rent of the house here in Sharjah," he said.
"We are happy for his happiness," he said.
Many other readers also came forward to help Mansour morally and financially.
The visa of Mansour and his family has been cancelled by Ajman Residency and Foreign Affairs Department after he got clearance from the banks.
Mansour told Gulf News that he took loans from different banks, some of whom reduced the amount of the loan for him, while others waived the whole amount as a kind of help.
Mansour said he would like to express his thanks to Gulf News readers who helped him go back to his country after he suffered a lot here.
"I got help from everyone. However, only Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), one of the banks whom I took loan from refused to reduce or to waive the amount," he said.
"I was worried that ADCB will put [a] new travel ban on me. Luckily they did not," Mansour said.
Gulf News contacted ADCB for comment, but got no response.
Mansour used to work as an accountant in a clinic in Ajman. He lived here for five years and lost his sight six months ago. Shortly thereafter he received the ban.
He became blind after he went for a laser treatment in a clinic in Sharjah.
