From Burden to Asset: Breaking out of Poverty with Education and Mentorship

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You need all the help you can get when you are working with one million farmers across six countries to stem the spread of the cassava diseases so families don't go hungry. The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) leads the Great Lakes Cassava Initiative which was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This initiative deals with diseases decimating cassava plants which is staple food like the potato in the United States located in eastern and central Africa. The project which lasts four years, is helping government agricultural institutions, local partners and farmers to grow, distribute and plant disease-tolerant cassava varieties so farmers can rely once again on this important food source.

This is the story of Abdul Hameed, a cook who worked with a family in Lahore, Pakistan. Our hero, Abdul Hameed, hails from one of the poor villages in the province of Punjab and moved to Lahore in search of employment and a better future. He never attended a school, and couldn’t even write his name. However, whoever met him agreed that he was one of the brightest and wittiest people they had ever met in their life. He married a woman from his village, who, like him, couldn’t even write her name. Together they had 4 children, three sons and one daughter.

Abdul Hameed, along with his family, lived in the quarters adjacent to his employer’s house. His children were very good friends with the employer’s grandchildren and they would spend hours playing every day after school and on weekends. The employer’s grandchildren went to a private English-medium school, while his children attended an Urdu-medium government school. Coming from a privileged background, the employer’s grandchildren never realized what a blessing it was for them to attend a good educational institutions.

The difference in the quality of education between government schools and private schools in Pakistan is huge, to say the least. As a result of negligence and consistent under investment, the country’s education sector that once boasted top-class institutes, is now pretty much in ruins. The Abdul Hameed’s eldest son Hafeez felt the heavy responsibility of providing for his family, especially as his parents grew old. It did not help that the differences in lifestyles and opportunities to grow were overwhelming between him and the grandchildren of his father’s employer, with whom he spent most of his free time. However, as Hafeez entered his late teens, his father’s employer slowly took him under his wing, guiding him in terms of education and career choices, and providing support at critical times. As a result, this boy not only completed his undergrad, but went on to do a double Masters from one of the best Universities in Pakistan. He then joined a software house in Lahore and worked with them for over ten years. He rose quickly through the organization as a result of his hard work and dedication. During this time he completed his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, which is a globally accepted and most important industry-recognized certification for project managers. This certification demonstrates that one has the experience, education and competency to lead and direct projects, as highlighted on the largest global association for project management profession Project Management Institute’s (PMI) website: /Certification/Project-Management-Professional-PMP.aspx

Hafeez now works and lives in London with his wife and two young children. His younger sister has a Masters degree and works as a teacher in one of the government schools in Lahore. She is married with two young children. The next brother is married and lives in Lahore as well. Both the brother and his wife work at a prestigious software house in Lahore. The youngest sibling is still in college in Lahore, and will, no doubt, follow his elder siblings’ footsteps and be very successful in life.

Both the Abdul Hameed and his wife live a semi-retired life in Lahore in a house that they bought a few years back. They went to London to visit Hafeez recently. This was their first foreign trip. And the stories and experiences that they have to share are amazing! They are also planning to go to Saudi Arabia to perform the holy pilgrimage soon. It is heartening to see Abdul Hameed and his family doing so well. Here we have an example, at the very micro level, where a family has broken out of poverty within a generation because of education, hard work, positive mentorship, and support. Instead of being a burden on the state which provides very little growth opportunities to its citizens to begin with, our hero, Abdul Hameed, and his family are now valuable assets for their friends, relatives, and the wider society!

Kulsoom Ali Syed. A Pakistani, aspiring for peace and harmony in our world. November, 2013.