An echo of undying hope
(Original)

Lamia Niazi
(Age 19, Pakistan)

In order to turn the leaves for the better in society, it is pertinent to the discussion that a pragmatic approach should be adopted. An onerous plan is not the only way of bringing sustainable development in community. I believe few simple measures are required. The plan is a little daunting but not impossible. The hope of bringing a change fuels it, and there could not be a better renewable fuel then hope and the drive to foster development in the surrounding I thrive in.

First I would like to throw light on my community. I live in two kinds of communities: one is the City life where I have always lived and the other is the country life where my parents are originally from, so therefore every vacation and religious celebration is spent in my village Musakhel. I strongly affiliate myself with Musakhel. It comprises of myriad people from different social backgrounds, but the thread joining them all is the same culture. The population of my small village is almost 120,000 people and the majority is dwelling on the brink of poverty and illiteracy. With no specialized skills or education, every child's future is bleak. The educated lot of the community are mostly teachers who travel 15-30 kilometers daily to go to schools and teach for a small salary starting with $50-$60 a month.

Now after analyzing the deteriorating situation to the poverty, I believe the only way to counteract is through education, and education that should not exhaust with one generation. It has to be a continuous thread of high standard, unlike the schools in the vicinity which are not free nor up to the required standard. The standards can be reached with the right syllabus, books, guidance and staff. With education, it is necessary to also equip the people with skills, so that the fantastic example of country like China could be adopted where the sheer hard work and skills of the people have made them the fastest growing economy and have set precedence for others that nothing is impossible. Therefore small cottage industries could also be made, but this is something I don’t have enough finances for, so right now I am working on a plan that is within my limitations, financial and technical.

Now I plan to open an English medium school in Musakhel. I have planned out an agenda and I am just waiting to get a college degree, so I am financially independent. My father has a huge house in Musakhel and enough land to give me some area to start a small school. Temporarily I will use the rooms of the house as classrooms and this way save the startup cost. The seemingly main problem is of teachers, but I have already committed three very bright female cousins who live in Musakhel to teach. Hailing from conservative societies, they are not allowed to work or leave the house, but as families their parents are eager for them to teach at my school.

Now, how I intend to make it sustainable is that first I will start collecting sponsors from my school, family and business sponsors. I have talked to a few family friends who are in business and give charities yearly, and they will give some to me as well. Therefore there will be a constant inflow of money. Students who will be willing to pay will be encouraged to do so. My siblings and I will give special classes in vacations. Now sustainable changes occur over time, so when the students finish high school, I will personally make sure I get them into good colleges on financial aid, but they will be committed to a contract to teach at the school for 2 years at least after graduating from college. This way there will be no dearth of teachers.

One very important step that I intend to take is that I will ask the headmistress of my previous school, if students after completing a grade, could give their books to me instead of throwing them away. This way I will have good books and students at my school will have the same opportunity as that of a student who is privileged to be going to schools of very high standard. 

Now Rome was not built in a day nor was the success of Grameen Bank culminated overnight. Therefore hard work and the perseverance is the key for expansion and success of the school. Where there is a will, there is a way and with God giving me so many opportunities I will make it happen.