CAI HERO : Naseem Parveen By Karin Ronnow Plus , CAI-Gilgit launches internship program for scholarship students
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these facilities are available ,” Naseem said .
She started school at the government school in Gulmit , then switched to Al Amin Model School , a co-ed school about 2 kilometers from her home .
“ My parents helped me a lot in my education ,” she said . “ My mother and father both are uneducated and disabled , but they did not stop me from school . Only sometimes I didn ’ t attend my school because of domestic work and helping my mother in the field .”
But she faced some financial hardships . “ I faced challenges like paying my school fees , uniform , shoes , up to 10 grade .”
Naseem Parveen at a 2013 gathering of CAI-supported scholarship students in Gilgit , Pakistan .
CAI HERO : Naseem Parveen By Karin Ronnow Plus , CAI-Gilgit launches internship program for scholarship students
GILGIT , Pakistan – Naseem Parveen is Central Asia Institute ’ s ( CAI ) mission all rolled up in one person .
She is female . Her impoverished family was devastated by a natural disaster that nearly derailed her education . But with CAI ’ s help she stayed in school and completed her college degree . Now , at age 22 , she ’ s giving back with a six-month voluntary teaching position in a remote CAI school . After that , she hopes to pursue a master ’ s degree .
But that ’ s not all . “ Her story is different than the others because both her parents are disabled ,” said Saidullah Baig , CAI ’ s project manager in the Gilgit-Hunza region of northern Pakistan . “ Both her mother and father are deaf and dumb and Naseem is the only person who can talk to them . She has three brothers and wants to start working so she can help give education to her brothers , otherwise they will not be able to continue their education .”
The oldest daughter of four children , Naseem grew up in Gulmit , Gojal , a village on the Hunza River north of Gilgit . Her parents are subsistence farmers , growing small amounts of wheat and raising a few livestock . Their simple home was in a mountainous area with few modern amenities . “ When I was young , at that time there was no electricity , phone and mobile system , although now
TRAGEDY STRIKES Her life changed dramatically in January 2010 , when a massive landslide thrust an entire village into the Hunza River , killing 20 people . The slide also blocked the flow of water and created a giant lake upstream , flooding villages and creating massive upheaval for thousands of people .
“ There was a big disaster in our region when the Attabad village fell down and blocked the Hunza River ,” she said . “ The water covered all of our land and house . There was a darkness in our lives . We couldn ’ t continue our education . Even survival was difficult for us . My future was looking dark .”
But as the Persian proverb says : When it is dark , you can see the stars .
Naseem was about to start class 10 at the time of the slide ( the school year runs from March to December in the mountains of northern Pakistan ), but the repercussions of the disaster had her doubting that she would ever be able to finish high school .
“ So I was surprised when a man , Sarfraz Khan , came to our village and announced Central Asia Institute [ would ] help the affected students to continue their education ,” she recalled . Sarfraz was CAI ’ s most-remoteareas project manager . He died in 2012 .
When CAI stepped in to help , she said , she decided to become a teacher .
“ Since that day I thought that if I could complete my education , I will start teaching , help my parents , and help my brothers to continue their education ,” she said .
She finished class 10 in a tent school set up by CAI near the landslide area . Then , with
38 | Journey of Hope C E N T R A L A S I A I N S T I T U T E