Dignity magazine vol vi the unsung heroes

Dignity Dignity Magazine Vol.5

Volume VI

The Unsung Heroes 1

Contents

Sadia Shakeel

6

Jacinta Torres

Muhammad Shahbaz Ahmed

Sajid Hamid Ashrafi

Mehwish

7

8-9

Jibraan Khalid Foundation for Life

Naghma Haque

4-5

10

11

12-13

Ali Bux Chando

Mr. Ehsaan

14

15

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The Unsung Heroes

Rukhsana Tariq

16

Professor Mohammed Iqbal

16

17

Aslam Masieh

18 19

Talil Ahmed

A True Hero

20-21

22 23

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Mumtaz Bibi

Haji Bashir Ahmed

Naila Mati

Wazirzada

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Sadia Shakeel

4

T

here are many human beings in this world who are helping people for a better future. Some donate money while others just bring hope and joy to the lives to many and strengthen their bond with Allah. These are the unsung heroes who are successful in every field of their lives.

I have met one such kind person who not only donates money, but also brings happiness and hope to the people who are poverty-stricken. Her name is Sadia Shakeel. This woman has an affection for all mankind and people love her for her kindness. She is a local and resides in Bahawalpur. Her way of meeting people is exceptionally different, the way she meets and greet everyone she meets. People are surprised because no one else has ever greeted them or inquired about their well-being. By helping people, she feels contentment in her soul.

For instance, she helped a woman who was an acid victim and personally visited her house and financially helped in her treatment. She gave her hope to survive when all the doctors had given up on her because she was the 70 % severely burnt case. Sadia Shakeel visited her everyday and gave her hope, courage and motivation. As a result, the woman recovered which in itself is a miracle.

She also donated special books to a boy who was visually impaired and had a hearing problem as well. She helped him to read through the Louis Braille system and now he has completed his Masters. She supports everyone, regardless of their religious affiliation, to gain employment because she believes in humanity. She also looks after the handicapped people by providing them with the necessary equipment.

After meeting her I came to know that if we are happy we should also think of the people who are not. We rise by lifting others and sympathetic people always try to lessen the burdens of others. I believe the world is one big family and we need to help each other. I salute her for having this kind of personality and I idealize her because she has done things which we ignore in our lives. She is a true heroine and everyone should know about and I personally hope that everyone follows her foot steps and remember her as a gift from Allah in their prayers.

Name: Hureen Shahid Class: VII Pink Beaconhouse School System Bahawalpur

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Jacinta Torres

A

s the bell tolls, people started trickling out of the old church in town. One of the last few to come out into the bright morning sunlight is an old lady clad in pristine white ensemble. Thankful her morning service is done for she struggled through her every word during the mass, coughing time and again.

A few children sitting by the curb approach her begging for alms to buy their first food of the day. She delves into her pocket and a 20-peso bill lights up their faces immensely.

In a small room tucked away in the corner of a small kitchen, she sits to prepare her workload for the days deliveries to the small bike store her family has, take her sister to the doctor, be at the monastery to help the volunteers and nuns with the charity work for that day…oh, yes… and sit with her best friend in the afternoon. Her visits do a lot to take away the anxiety and loneliness as her friend recovers from cancer.

That familiar scent of her perfume wafts through the whole house as she darts here

“ Unsung heroes…

Those who get back up more times than they are knocked down, who give more than they ever expect to receive, who still show love to others even when their own hearts are broken, who smile through the sad times, who light the way for others , who spread laughter and joy through their deeds…

Thank you for making the world a better place.” and there, getting ready to start another long day.

Jacinta “Ching” Torres was born in 1950, the youngest of 4 children. She was orphaned at the age of 9 and she worked her way through school when she could. She was able to complete her college studies in 1972. She married in 1974, was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and completely survived the illness in 2007.

The late afternoon sun is dipping low in the horizon. As the first stars appear in the twilight sky, I see her walk through the small white gate. She looks tired now, her cough sounds worse and yet she smiles brightly when she sees me and my brother running towards her squealing in delight.

My Grandma is finally home.

Isabelle Elise T. Pagkalinawan Grade 7 Angels in Heaven School Cabuyao, Laguna Philippines

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Muhammad Shahbaz Ahmed “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.�

-Joseph Campbell

M

ost of the children growing in Pakistani villages are unable to get education because of the lack of proper resources and poverty. We are lucky to have people around us who devote their lives for the betterment of mankind. One such person is Muhammad Shahbaz Ahmed. By profession, he is a milkman but he is not an ordinary one. This 35 year old man’s journey to educate the poor children is worth mentioning. Although, he faced many problems in his quest to help mankind but his will to do so did not deter.

His story came to my knowledge when one day he asked us for some financial help. On asking the reason for his need, he told us his awe inspiring story. He told that in his village 200-P SDQ, there was no school where the villagers could get education. He wanted to help them in anyway he could.

Being a Matriculate, he himself started giving free classes to children in a small room provided by the village head. With the passage of time and charity of people, he has now hired a teacher. As his pupils belong to poor families, most of them do odd jobs to earn for their families. So Muhammad Shahbaz arranges 2-3 class sessions in day to accommodate to their needs. He is a milkman in the day and a wonderful teacher in the evening. Approximately 20 -30 children have enrolled in his small school.

Shahbaz Ahmed collects charity from the people, he sells milk too and spends all the money on the improvement of his school. His wish is to educate every child in his village so that they can have a bright future. He also wishes to open a free health care centre in his village.

Eeman Fatima Class: VII Yellow Beaconhouse School System Sadiqabad

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‘Accident’ is a horrific term that only has negative connotations but there are some accidents in life that teach you a lesson for life. Similar is the story of my uncle, Mr. Sajid Hamid Ashrafi, whose accident made him an ‘Unsung Hero’.

Years back, in 1987, he lost his right leg in a railroad accident. This terrible incident ruined his life completely, not just because he thought he had become useless but because all his respect seemed to go down the drain as whenever he went out somewhere, people thought of him as a beggar. However, this negativity instilled positivity in him as he could now empathize with crippled people. He used to do civil drawings earlier but this incident compelled him to join an organization, The Limbloss Foundation that had supplied artificial limbs to about 1500 people free of cost. After gaining experience there, he found his own charitable organizations, Lite-pro, that serves the same purpose. Here, one fourth of the expense is borne by the patients while the remaining three fourth amount is paid by the organization.

My uncle’s life turned upside down within seconds but instead of complaining about what has happened to him, he went for a noble cause that defines his exemplary character. He is without a leg now but undoubtedly has turned into the ‘real hero’ for those many people for whom he appeared as an angel. Although he is unsung, in my eyes he is the “actual hero”.

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Sajid Hamid Ashrafi

Syeda Alishba Kazmi VII-G Beaconhouse PECHS Campus

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Jibraan Khalid Foundation for Life

Jibraan Khalid was 23 years old when he died in a car accident. He was a good debater and the president of the debate society in NUST. He introduced the Media Club at his university which is now all over the Pakistan and is has more than 15000 members. A day before his death, he got an email from MIT University about his admission with the scholarship and the day after his death, the family received his admission letter, too.

Before his death his aim was to work hard to help poor children who face problems in studies. In order to bring their son’s dreams to a reality his parents started a foundation in his memory “Jibraan Khalid Foundation for Life�. The foundation members visit government schools, where they arrange some competitions among the children and they also promote the concept of KHUDI (self/independent). Furthermore, they give awards to the children who win the competition held by them. Moreover, they arranged winter clothes, money for medicine, and books for the flood victims. The foundation aims to establish a Bazm-E-Adab Society which will give out need based scholarship to brilliant students.

Bakhtawar Habib VI-Mauve Beaconhouse Faisalabad Girls Campus 10

Naghma Haque

“Blessed are those who give without remembering and take without forgetting.”

- Elizabeth Bibesco

Mrs. Naghma Haque, owner of Saya School has been working as a civil servant for a long time. Saya School, located in F-12 Islamabad, aims to provide education to the under-privileged children. Saya School wants to change lives. They want to leave no child without education just because they don’t have access to it. Most of their students are Afghan, displaced children and kids living in slums. Saya School invites frequent guests (donators) and also arranges parties, functions and food festivals to create funds for the school.

This school provides the uniforms (winters and summers) to students. It also arranges trips. Recently, the students were taken to the remarkable Khewra salt mines as a reward for their excellent academic performance. All this was done for free !!!

Mrs. Naghma Haque also lends out money to the poor, who want to start their own little business. She helps out the incapacitated people too.

A man named Muhammed Sharif and his kin needed one pair of bionic legs each. Mrs. Naghma Haque coordinated Fauji Foundation Hospital in providing them with bionic legs. She also provides rations for the flood refugees and sets up medical camps for them.

I hope that she continues helping people because no matter how small, she is bringing a change to this world.

Lalarukh Class: VII-B Beaconhouse F/11 Girls Campus 11

Mehwish

M

ehwish Aapi is our neig

studies. One day, I had

decided to go to her house and ask for

Aapi teaching her maids. I was surpris study.

She is a student of Matric and takes ou

study. I was also surprised seeing how Mehwish Aapi saw me standing in the asked me why I looked so surprised. I

smiled and said politely that education

and everyone should play their role in

without its citizens being educated. Sh

a little change in her maids’ lives by ge

It really changed the way I used to thin

son of my maid. His name is Usman an

in English. I intend to help him further Thank you Mehvish Aapi, for being a

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ghbor. I often go to her house to get help in

a Maths problem which I couldn’t solve so I

r help. As I entered the room, I saw Mehwish

sed to know that she was helping her maids

ut few hours in the evening to help her maids

w devoted and attentive her students were. doorway and asked me to come inside. She said, “Why are you teaching them?” She

n is vital for the betterment of our society

n contributing to it. No society can flourish

he told me that she felt maybe she can bring

etting them primary education.

nk and I also started helping a boy who is the

nd I have finally taught him all the alphabets

r. role model for me!

Ahmad Mujtaba VI-B BMTL Boys Branch (45-1-B-1)

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Ali Bux Chandio

I

n our society great people are always rewarded as heroes. There is a wide range of heroes and legends almost in every field of life. Some of the great personalities remain unrevealed in spite of the fact that they contribute a lot towards society.

Mr. Ali Bux Chandio (my grandfather) can be also described as an unsung hero. He belonged to Nawabshah. He paid great services for his community. Among his accomplishments were establishing a rest place for travelers, working to promote education, collecting and providing funds for school and its infrastructure. He built a school named Government Primary in May 1956. He also brought a team from America which helped in the improvement of irrigation and water supply and agriculture. He convinced the government to supply light to the village and build proper roads. He died in 2014. May his soul rest in peace. (AMEEN).

Thanks to him Nawabshah is now a prosperous and successful city.

Usama Abdul Shaheed VI-C Beaconhouse Senior Boys Branch Rawalpindi 14

Mr. Ehsaan

P

eople come and go away from the world but people who pass away leave only memories for their loved ones. Sometimes, some families don’t have the money or ability to arrange everything for funeral. When these people are in need, this man named Mr. Ehsaan shows up to help them. He lives in the same town as ours. I don’t think that there could be a hero better than him. And the worst part is that no one knows this hero.

Whenever, Mr. Ehsaan hears of a death, the first thing he does is make an announcement for the burial prayers. He then arranges a tent and a place where everyone can gather. As per tradition, he provides food for three days for the deceased’s family and visitors that includes the breakfast, lunch and dinner.

He even bathes the deceased’s body and arranges for their coffin without any cost. What he does is spiritually rewarding yet people still run away from it. He also arranges a gravesite for the deceased.

He does all these things selflessly and doesn’t charge a single penny for it. Who could do a better job than him? This is not only a very helpful thing it is also full of reward. He really is the unknown hero of our society and of country. He is an example of a person who everyone should aspire to be.

Zia Noman VI-A Beaconhouse Steel Town Branch 15

Rukhsana Tariq There are many local unsung heroes in our

Professor Muhammad Iqbal

When a grey-haired man with a long beard, tan complexion and a white stick in his hand entered the office, the whole gathering stood respectfully to pay gratitude to this lively example of valor, gallantry and heroism.

Though the man himself was unaware to glimpse the scene due to his blindness, a disability he was born with. He was the one who did not overshadow his personality with this visual disparity, however, turned himself into a dynamic illustration of his communities; one of them is Ms. Rukhsana character with dedication, hard work and Tariq, a teacher by profession, who has of- honesty.

This is Professor Muhammad Iqbal who fered a helping hand to the poor children despite this blindness, has not only earned living in a colony near her school. high-quality repute in the vicinity but also She has done great charitable work, and has succeeded in attaining a valuable supports poor and needy children namely Muddasir, Hamida, Ibrahim and Muqaddus position with the University of Sargodha. He is the man who along with his own under her project “Helping Hand.” She personally taught these children for about a education and grooming, has worked hard for the other people suffering from year and finally got them admitted in a blindness. local school and arranged their fee.

He established a school Currently, she is providing them with all along with a hostel to types of resources for their education and provide a large number is supporting them through charitable of sufferers, with funding. residence and She also supports a former junior staff education. He member named Mr. Wajid, who lost his job persuaded a few after losing his eye sight due to a disease contributing hands of his surroundings to called “Glaucoma”. She helps him by offer charity for the institution. He also collecting funds from every fellow teacher worked day and night for the betterment of each month, and tries her best to support these members of the society. He provides him. She also helps every junior staff professional education to the blind, to member in need. I think we should praise make them benefactors for their families her charitable contribution. May god bless and surroundings rather than a burden. her.

Mohammad Danish VII-G Beaconhouse School System, Jubilee Campus

Aunain Kundi VI Blue Beaconhouse Main Sargoda Branch 16

Aslam Masieh “Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”

-Robert Ingersoll

Aslam Masieh is 55 years old man who belongs to a Christian family. He lives in a small house in Chackra Goth Korangi Karachi, Pakistan. Daily, he cleans our society. He is a person with a bright mind. He sweeps the roads and takes care of the plants in my society. His actual job is in the government but he sweeps our society in his free time.

He doesn't clean our society because of money, he just cleans it to make our community better place and that is hard work.

This shows the fact that he cares for Mother Earth and wants it to be clean. There are many people like Aslam who want to do something for making this Earth clean but are many people in the world who just don't want to which is why Aslam tries hard to teach little children to contribute in making the Earth a better place. He is doing this job for almost 25 years. His real dream was to be educated. The only message that he wants to convey is that people should treat everyone equally and not irritate them and that everyone should live in peace and that they should contribute in making the Earth a better place.

Sana Karim Soomro Class VIIA Beaconhouse School System Jubilee Campus 17

Jalil Ahmed

T

here are many people who help the poor in various ways and are not

recognized. I know one such person who’s name is “Jalil Ahmed”. He is my father’s uncle and an active social worker. The reason why he helps poor people is because when he was young and it was only his sixth day of college, his father died due to a sudden heart attack. Ahmed was heartbroken that he was left alone when just in college. He promised himself then to help ailing humanity as much as he can by saving members of other’s families.

He started providing food, medicines and doctors’ services to Civil Hospital Sukkur, so that the other people can benefit. He also assists in collection and donation of blood for Sukkur Blood Bank.

He contributed in the field of education too. He published many books. He

contributes and provide fund raising assistance for building schools for underprivileged children.

Maria Kashif VII Beaconhouse Sukkur 18

A True Hero

W

henever I hear the word ‘hero’, I do not find anyone fitting its description

more perfectly than Sepoy ‘Imzad’. It was 2010 when my father was posted in Frontier Corps (FC) Khyber Pakhtun Khwan (then NWFP). The whole province especially FATA was under heavy grip of terrorists (Taliban). Bomb blast at public places was a routine matter. I cannot forget the night when my own residential area was also attacked. The very next morning FC decided to launch an attack on Taliban. My father was also the part of the attacking force.

Fifteen days later, when my father returned from the operation, he told us about Sepoy Imzadullah. I became attentive because Imzadullah had come over to my home many times to check my grandfather’s blood pressure and little health problems. My father told me that Imzadullah had been among the nursing staff. During the operation, Imzad got shocking news that his only son had been severely hit by a car. He was taken to the hospital in emergency and the next day was his operation. The commander offered him to go back but he clearly refused. I felt proud.

After some weeks Imzadullah came to our house for some purpose, I asked him about his son. He said that his son with the grace of Allah was alright now. I suddenly came to the point and asked him why he did not go back to his home when he was offered. He replied “I wanted to go I knew the people needed me here more and we already were short of nursing staff. I left my son with Allah, I knew He would save him”. I felt pride rising up. I felt proud of being a Pakistani. I wanted to stand on the roof top and tell the whole world what a great deed a small person like him had done. And writing in this magazine brought me a chance to tell the world about him. According to me there is nobody more deserving

Umaima Saeed VII- H Beaconhouse Gulshan Middle II 19

“Empathy

is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.�

-Mohsin Hamid

Simra Sohail Class: VII Beaconhouse Jhang Campus

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Mumtaz BiBi

T

here are many heroes in our society but a real one is who does something for other people and there is one in my sight…

Near my farmhouse, there are large fields of vegetables, fruits, wheat and rice. Many farmers from different villages work over there, but the difficulty

is that they live far away from the city. However, men manage to come to the city, but women especially living in backward areas face many difficulties to come to the city. So there is an unsung hero, a woman named Mumtaz BiBi, who drives a tractor trolley just

for the betterment of the women. She wanted to help women as they have to come to cities through auto rickshaws, they have to either face difficulty to get a bus or to go through a tough ordeal of changing transportation more than twice. Sometimes they miss the bus so they have to wait for a long time period and do not reach at the particular place on time. Mumtaz lives in a village far away from Jhang, Saddar, named Qaim Bharwana and she is in her late forties. Every day at a particular time, she picks up the women living in the village and from the nearby village, bringing them to Jhang city on her trolley without taking a single penny. As Henry Drummond says, “Happiness

consists in giving and serving others.” This lady convinced the women living in rural areas and won their trust. Running a heavy public transport, she comes across a gazillion obstacles yet, her confidence, motivation, good will, and alacrity never exhausts. Her commitment in

helping women without taking money explains her

noble services towards society. Hence, SHE IS THE REAL HERO….

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Haji Bashir Ahmed My grandfather “Haji Bashir Ahmed’’ is a local hero in Gulshan-e-Ravi. He is the founder

It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them.

of the “Gulshan-e Ravi Welfare Trust.” He is providing the less fortunate people facilities to make the future of the country better. Under his supervision, the trust has opened schools for the children to provide them free education so that they could succeed in life. The school curriculum and

infrastructure is of a quality standard.

My grandfather and his trust have built a hospital where medication and all other facilities are free of cost. The

-Dalai Lama

hospital is also hygienic and contains modern equipment.

Widows are trained, so that they can earn money and become independent.

Each year during the month of Ramadan, he visits different

rural areas and hands out a large quantity of flour, sugar and salt for the Sehri and Aftari. At the time of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid -ul-Adha, my grandfather passes out new clothes to the poor people and money as a gift. He is really trying to do his part in building a better society and I am very proud of him.

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Naila Mati

One way or the other, folks of the city always manages to look out for themselves but the ones that are out of our reach can’t. Rajasthan is a recessive desert in the outskirts of Pakistan with insufficient resources to sustain a good life. There was a lot of needs to fulfill but no one was ready to take a stand for the poor community residing in Rajasthan. Therefore, Mrs. Naila Mati stood up and became a hope for them. To bring a change, she started this charitable organization to show the world that the tiniest little help can save a life. The funds not only aid in providing necessary resources for survival but also a bit of entertainment for the children living in these rural area.

The funds are collected from the residents of Islamabad and she herself donates a lot in the event. Collecting unwanted clothes, managing the amount of food to be delivered, arranging the transport for these objects is an uphill task on its own and most importantly fulfilling all the requirements in the budget is her job. In the beginning, she started small; however, after getting the hang of what she was practicing, she then started to push her limits and take on bigger budgets. The bigger budgets now opened the door for the unwanted toys to be transported to the desert, the unwanted stuff that might mean a lot to the Rajasthan’s underprivileged community. She provides them with money so that they are given with the chance to improve their surroundings such as making it a better place to live in and get a better chance at educating their children and providing a brighter future for them. The money also gives them the opportunity to replace their old equipment with new ones to make their product better and competitive to the market standards.

“She is making a change”.

Daniyah Noor F.11 Campus, Girls Branch Class: VII-B 23

Wazirzada (NGO)

I

n June 2014, two students from Peshawar Brahram Khan and Shanzer Khan and one student from Islamabad Adam Khan, formed a non-governmental organization called Wazirzada. The inspiration for forming Wazirzada (NGO) came from all of the less fortunate people around town and who are in need of immediate attention.

Peshawar, Shanzer and Adam decided to approach all the members of their community, relatives and friends to help provide funds, clothing, jobs and school equipment. Their job was to distribute everything equally. The set up make shift schools to start educating the younger ones.

They are further supporting the IDPs and TDPs. Their dream is to one day make their organization official and have a long lasting positive impact on the world like EDHI.

Ali Khan VIII B Beaconhouse Frontier Boys Campus Peshawar

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Designed and developed by the Academics Department Beaconhouse Group Head Office. All material included in the Dignity Magazine Vol. VI are students’ write up on the Unsung Heroes of our society.

Compiled & Edited by: Learning Centre - Academics Department

Copyright Š 2015 - Beaconhouse. All rights reserved.

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