Adeel Malik
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Alhamdulilah sister Sa’diyya Nesar has spent much of her life redefining what strength means as reported by SCMP.
Living with a rare congenital muscle condition that requires a wheelchair, she has endured multiple surgeries and long hospital stays. Rather than letting disability confine her, she turned to writing and found her voice.
“I started writing not only to cope with life’s difficulties but also to clear misconceptions about disability,” said Nesar, who graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 2013, majoring in English language and literature.
“Even when my body could not move the way I wanted, words became my movement.”
That creative impulse has grown into purpose. Sa’diyya, who is in her mid-thirties, is now a published author, TEDx speaker and social justice fellow whose work explores resilience, faith and identity.
Her books, Hearts that Remember and Strength from Within, examine inner courage and inclusion, with Braille editions that promote accessible reading.
“Your hardships can become your greatest strength if you choose to use them that way,” she said.
Her path began in hospital wards where she spent much of her childhood.
“I saw children like me facing hardship and parents struggling to visit them,” she recalled.
“Even then, I felt there was a need to comfort others. That is where empathy starts.”
Today, she channels that empathy into advocacy.
As a diversity list candidate for The Zubin Foundation and a Resolve disability fellow, she works with the Equal Opportunities Commission and NGOs, such as ImpactHK and Sensational, to promote inclusion in education, employment and community life.
“Inclusion begins when we talk to people with disabilities, not about them,” she said. “True accessibility starts when we see each other as equals.”
Her activism also recognises carers, whom she calls “the hidden heroes”.
“They face exhaustion and isolation, too. Supporting them is part of supporting inclusion.”
While inclusion is a social goal, Sa’diyya sees it as a human one and believes Hong Kong’s diversity gives it the power to lead by example.
“I’ve lived here all my life. It’s a city of contrasts – old and new, East and West – but that is its beauty. If any place can show how empathy connects differences, it’s Hong Kong,” she said.
She is grateful for her parents and for her husband.
“I got married in my early twenties. My husband is Chinese and I am Pakistani. I am disabled and he is not,” she added. “Our interracial and interabled marriage has been a source of strength and joy. A message on the possibility of integration.”
She also sees her life as a reflection of the city’s openness.
“Hong Kong teaches me to adapt. We meet people from everywhere, facing different hardships, and that teaches empathy,” she said.
Her resilience has made her a voice for many, particularly young people struggling with identity, disability or self-doubt.
Sa’diyya said she hoped her experiences would encourage young readers. “I want to write children’s books, the kind I needed growing up, so they’ll see that nothing should hold them back from trying,” she said.
Her life, she added, was shaped by everyday kindness.
“Sometimes it’s just a stranger holding a door open for me. That small act of empathy already gives me the strength to keep showing up to do more.”
Sa’diyya’s work and advocacy have earned her a place as a finalist in the perseverance category of this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, which honour unsung heroes whose compassion and resilience reflect the very best of the city.
Vote for her here.
The annual awards are co-organised by the South China Morning Post and Sino Group to recognise the efforts of the city’s unsung heroes who contribute to the community or inspire others with stories of how they overcome personal challenges.
