Thar: From Drought to Dreams

Adil Ahmed Dayo is an Education Youth Ambassador who has been involved in a number of education-based campaigns all over Pakistan and is a budding activist hoping to share an extraordinary story with Right to Education:

“I as an Education Youth Ambassador believe in doing whatever little one can for the betterment of the community and helping every voice find its way into the hearts of those who may take heed.  In this capacity, I recently visited village Pandheli near Chalyar Town, which happens to be located nearly fifty kilometers away from District Headquarter Mithi.  The purpose of this whirlwind visit was austere: A few weeks ago, I heard about a very courageous woman from Thar, named Haseena Umrani. Her tale was one of perseverance, valor, and hope.  I wrote about this subject profusely on all my personal social networking accounts but still felt that instead of being a keyboard warrior, there was something else that I ought to do on my part.

I, alongside my friend Nadeem Khaloon – who is also the head of the Ehsaas Development society – planned to visist Thar and distribute food and other necessary items among the vulnerable who had been severely affected by the droughts that have been persisting in the area for over two years now.  I also planned to visit this valiant lady that I had heard an read so much about.

Upon reaching the village, we found that the conditions there weren’t only dire in terms of the provision of basic amenities, but also appalling in terms of lack of education. There were no primary or secondary schools for girls in the area; as a matter of fact, it is safe to say that the concept of educating girls was nothing short of a foreign paradigm to the villagers. I met Haseena Umrani and she narrated how she had taken it upon herself to educate children, especially, girls, during such difficult times. She had in spite of her physical disabilities kick started a small scale school with the assistance of her brother, where about forty girls were enrolled from the village of Pandheli as well as other villages in the vicinity. She spoke of her dream to see her area bloom and thrive with education; she expressed that the trend of not sending children to school was a plague worse than any other that only contributed to the raging problems that Thar is faced with.

Mr Nadeem Khaloon was also accompanied by one of his comrades Mr Abdul Hameed, who had come to visit the village all the way from Canada to see what improvements could be orchestrated in the area.  After observing the conditions of the place as well as listening to Haseena’s heart rending account, they immediately vowed to have her school properly built. Although it may be a small step, it was a significant one that was certainly taken in the right direction. This singular school has the power to propagate the cause of education in an area where education still remains a fiction. It can act as a beacon of hope for a place that has only ever faced brutal deprivation. Furthermore, the team also initiated a project through which the women of the region could start their own embroidery and stitching centers so as to generate revenue for their households and earn a dignified living.

I wanted to share this story with Right to Education as it is a true example of how one single act of consideration and kindness can ripple through an eternity, and really bring about a substantial change, the kind of change that Thar in particular and Pakistan in general needs.”