The ‘Abey Khao’ food truck, which translates to “Eat Guys,” is Pakistan’s first mobile restaurant manned solely by deaf people, providing them with a source of income.
The bright yellow truck with the emblem of a pair of spectacles sitting on a luxurious moustache, ‘Abey Khao,’ seems like many other food trucks that attract hungry students at a college in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital.
However, when placing their order, the students started making hand signals, suggesting that this is not a typical food truck.
The food truck was created by a hearing-impaired family, with both parents and their two sons being completely or partially deaf. Daughter Ayesha Raza, on the other hand, can hear and came up with the concept of ‘Abey Khao’ to provide chances for her brothers.
“In Pakistan, the majority of deaf youngsters are unemployed, and they confront language obstacles, inequity, and prejudice,” she stated. “Customers at Abey Khao accept deaf culture and submit orders using sign language.”
“With illustrations explaining how to speak simple sentences in sign language, the food truck is helping to bridge communication gaps between deaf individuals and the hearing population,” she said.
“We should carve our own way through business, no matter how modest,” Ayesha’s brother, Sheikh Faizan, stated in sign language, “because we cherish our dignity as independent living beings more than anything else.”
Students assemble on the Millennium Universal College campus for sizzling meat sandwiches and french fries, waving their hands to indicate their orders.
“Normally, when we encounter a deaf person, we have no idea how to converse with them.” “They’ve put a cue card in front of their vehicle, which is quite beneficial for everyone when we want to place an order,” student Misal Shahzad remarked.
To read our blog on “NPMC Calls for Provision of Food items at Affordable Prices,” click here.
