On an unbearably
hot summer day in Lahore, I decided to go and visit
a school in the rural part of Bahria Town. Farrah
Bokhari has taken over a government school that she
is running completely on her own. She is managing
it without any funding provided by the government;
from school supplies, to uniforms, to lunch, all is
provided by her and her dear friend, Bia. These two
remarkable ladies have really made a difference in
the lives of those young girls. They strongly emphasize
good hygienic habits, such as brushing teeth and showering
before they come to school. One can really see the
drastic difference between the girls’ school
which she has fixed up, and the boys’ school
next to hers which looks gray and depressing in comparison.
The school has children attending grades nursery to
the fifth grade; however, there is only one classroom.
The main classroom is for the nursery and the rest
of the classes are outside. There is one class that
sits on the porch, and the rest of them are sitting
in tents in the ground. I only stood for about 5 minutes
outside, and I could not bear the heat anymore. I
couldn’t understand how these young girls were
sitting out in the scorching heat for so many hours,
all with one cooler trying to cool them all. The tents
are small, fitting about 10-15 girls from each class,
and all in total there were about 5 tents. I wanted
to do something then, and here I am, asking that you
help those girls get a proper classroom of their own.
How is one supposed to focus on mathematics when you're
sitting outside in 100 degree weather?
This is why I am approaching the avid readers of The
Saturday Post, to share pictures and to let you all
know a way you can get involved and help. By donating,
you can really make the difference in the lives of
these girls. By creating a proper, well lit classroom,
you are providing these children more than they could
ever ask for. A New Beginning is an honest organization
that deserves help, and as Pakistanis, whether overseas
or living within Pakistan, we have an obligation to
help our country and those in need. This is one way
we can actually answer our own plea 'I wish I could
do something to help'.
