Dignity, Vol I by Ibrahim Suheyl

ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

Table of Contents Inner Satisfaction

Look and see, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x;t it make you cry?

More Than We Will Ever Have

A Summer Well Spent

Unforgettable Experiences

A Journey of Self-discovery (2 stories)

Making a Difference

Exploring New Frontiers

A Learning Experience

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Back to Basics

A Mixed Bag

My Reckoning

Do Unto Othersâ&#x20AC;Ś.

The First and Topmost Priority

Doing Our Duty

An Experience of a Lifetime

Forging Ties

Respect For All

Upholding Honours

The Quest for Equality

30-31

Striving for More

Working For The Community

Shared Happiness is Doubled Happiness

A Place Worth Visiting

36-37

Adding Value to Life

A day with Little Angels

Spreading the Word

Making a Difference

Honouring Nurses

Fighting For Life

Lending a Helping Hand

Dignity Human Rights

Global Day Celebrations 2013 Central Region

48-49

Southern Region

50-51

Northern Region

52-53

International Division

54-55

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“Every life deserves a certain amount of dignity, no matter how poor or damaged the shell that carries it.” RICK BRAGG

Inner Satisfaction

few months ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Dar-ul-Sukun. It is a private institute that caters to the needs of mentally handicapped individuals. I worked there for three hours every day and spent time with these people. I even fed them sometimes. It was an

eye-opening experience for me. The love with which these handicapped people live serves an example for all of us. Even though they are not as privileged as we are, their hearts are filled with warmth and affection. Their families abandoned them, so they have created their own family at Dar-ul-Sukun. I mostly spent my time with the children, teaching them about letters and poems. Here, I noticed what these children longed most for was a little affection and attention which their parents had not given them. During this time, a strong emotional bond developed between me and those little angels. My last day at Dar-ul-Sukun was a painful one because one of the little girls, Cynthia, had started to weep as I was leaving and this really touched my heart. Even though my volunteer work has ended, I sometimes go to Dar-ul-Sukun just to meet her.

Wajiha Shah Gulshan A Level Karachi

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ook and see, doesn’t it make you cry?

Watching their esteem dying by,

Spend a day and you´ll know they are,

You say that words don‟t hit you hard,

Suffering from society pushing them so far,

Then why are their egos now broken shards, Don‟t kill their fire, you´ll be sorry one day, They utter a plea, Won´t you Save Our Souls.

For they have rights, whatever you say,

Without their dignity, can they be whole?

Spent three hours, my eyes are opened now,

These innocent beings, a simple want,

They are better than us, why should they bow.

Consider them equal, no more pity or taunts, Some people work so hard to make their place, You make them pariahs, don‟t deny the case,

They have their dignity, that´s what matters the most, While we are nothing but merely lost souls.

Amena Amir BSS Sargodha

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More Than We Will Ever Have

he tinkling sound of their laughter reached my ears as they ran around chasing each other… The scene depicted here is not that of a public or private school, but of SOS Village Sargodha.

However, is there any reason why SOS schools should be considered any different from other schools, looked upon with pity? Why should these children get fewer opportunities than us just because God bestowed his blessings on us? The reason is embedded deep within the society, an aversion to all things different. Yet, despite all these attempts to outcast these innocent beings, these children have learned to make a place for themselves in the world, while protecting their self-esteem. Active in 133 countries worldwide, the Save Our Souls mission has helped innumerable children. In Sargodha itself, SOS provides orphans and the destitute with shelter, teaching facility and a mother. A beautiful playground, exceptional food and extracurricular activities are part of the package. The SOS Village has attempted to rebuild these children‟s broken lives and has succeeded. A day spent in the SOS Village can never be forgotten. The students are sweet and innocent, always welcoming visitors. A smile appears on their gentle faces when they see an outsider and they immediately melt your heart with their warmth. Their strength is exemplary and inspiring. Nasir Tanveer has been a part of the SOS family since he was 13. He completed his Masters in Business Administration from the National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad and is currently working with a Saudi company. Most people look down on them, yet they keep standing firm and living in the Village with probably more dignity than any one of us ever hopes to feel. So why is this society intent on crushing these children‟s spirits? Ask yourself that, because we are the society.

Amena Amir BSS Sargodha

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Azka Asad Beaconhouse Educational Complex Rawalpindi

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A Summer Well Spent ecently, I started working with an NGO working for the betterment of the less fortunate people of Pakistan; people who we shamelessly classify as „undignified‟ because of their lack of money, their torn clothes, and their poor backgrounds. With the NGO, I visited a park where 300 children including beg-

gars sat on the floor being taught free of cost by a very generous man. They sat in straight lines on equal distance from each other. They had different religions, age, values and backgrounds and the way they talked to me, to their teachers and to each other was beyond my belief. That was the first time in my life that I felt genuine respect and that is when I learned what respect is. What reason did they have to treat me so well? They had grown up learning to listen quietly and obey, to not respond, and to make the best of what they had and to help each other out. They never expected to be respected because they did not consider themselves worthy of that consideration. It‟s a tragedy how everything in this world works on the basis of the money in a person‟s pocket. Does dignity really have anything to do with how fortunate a person is? No, not at all! Dignity is about what a person is, what are his values and his beliefs, how he treats the people around him and most importantly what his perspective is. Reaction to a situation would always depend on how that situation was interpreted. If our perception is positive our response would be positive and in everybody's favour so therefore it would be a dignified and respectful response. A person who has a roof above his head, food to eat and clothes to wear is better off than most of the world‟s population, but better in terms of fortune not dignity. I consider a person who forgets his ego to feed his family more dignified than a person who has everything at hand. When we deny the poor and the vulnerable their own human dignity and capacity for freedom and choice, it becomes a denial of both our collective and individual dignity, at all levels of soci-

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Unforgettable Experiences

t is with great happiness that I reflect back upon the Community Service Programme 2013, which I was a part of during this year‟s summer break. The experiences that we all had together were truly one of a kind and I will cherish them forever. Through the course of those four weeks of tirelessly switching from pens to markers to oral techniques and meeting new people and making new friends, I came to realise the importance of community service programmes and their impact on society and more so on our own selves: they make us better human beings with an improved understanding of society and the part we can all play to make it better. I was quite excited on the first day and nervous at the same time. The teachers had us gathered at our workplace and I got to meet all the students. I remember being very frustrated at the end of the first day: I had yet to adapt to this new environment that I had been put in and the burden of the responsibility that I had taken on weighed on me. But as it is with children everywhere, my students soon won me over and it started to feel like home. Just like any other adventure, this one also had its ups and downs. There were the highs and there were the lows, but we managed to pull through and keep the students wellinformed. The teaching experience was quite novel for me. Adapting to the students‟ level and then trying to get through to them with whatever skill I had in order to make them learn wasn‟t an easy task, but at the end of the day the hard work paid off when we received a good response from the children. I walked out of that programme four weeks later with something extremely valuable: an amazing experience that came about with the combined efforts of each and every person involved, directly or indirectly . To conclude, I would say that I, Nabeel Khalid, am a proud member of the Community Service Programme and would encourage the administration to continue organising such initiatives, in which I will hopefully get to participate again someday! Nabeel Khalid BMI Boys‟ Campus, Islamabad

A Journey of Self-discovery

It was a completely life-changing experience and my soul felt rejuvenated when I was done. I want to profusely thank the team of teachers who worked alongside me, as well as the administration for all its support. Without their help and dedication, the programme would not have been as successful as it was. It was a great learning experience and those three weeks were some of the best of my life, and the programme was worth each and every second I spent on it.

This programme shapes the students during the transitional period between school and college, thus making them healthy and productive members of society, as well as individuals with a sound morality and stable thought. In the end, all I can say is that this was a fruitful programme that should be extended to the younger students, who need to be nurtured at a tender, impressionable and decisive age.

hen I was given the task to head the ommunity service has been by far the best Community Services Society‟s Proexperience in my short tenure of 16 years gramme for 2013, I was hesitant to in this world. It was engaging and comforttake on a responsibility that required a ing for my soul and after the riveting threelot of dedication, but in the end I was proud of my week experience, a sense of responsibility was inculcatdecision to go ahead with it because I was able to learn ed in me. a lot about management, teaching and, in fact, controlAt the end of this programme, I discovered quite a few ling my temper when somebody got on my nerves! things about myself, chief among them my capabilities I discovered traits within me that I never even knew as an active, responsible and able teacher. Maturity was existed. Above all, I managed to overcome my fear of the highlight of the many good things I gained through speaking in front of a large audience and I thank the the programme, and alongside it I learned the hardadministration and my teachers for encouraging me ships our teachers face and the respect that they rightthroughout these three weeks. fully deserve from their students.

Ali Wajee-ur-Rehman

Hashir Banuri

BMI Boys‟ Campus

Islamabad

Making a Difference

he Community Service Programme 2013 was a very successful initiative. It seemed like an excellent idea to give children studying in government schools a good revision and a strong base over the summer before starting the new academic year, and I was all for it.

My most immediate observation was that the children were lagging behind their private school peers and some of them had to practically start from scratch, without even knowing how to properly read the alphabet. We worked hard for a fortnight or so to help them as much as we could, and it worked out pretty well. Some of the children were actually reading fluently by the end of it, which was very surprising to me given the short amount of time we had to make any sort of tangible difference. We tried to create an engaging atmosphere where the children could learn and relax unlike their actual classes at school, where the learning environment does not interest them much or engage their minds, as they are forced to learn things by heart. They opened up to us and created a friendly bond with us, which allowed them to learn much quicker and with significantly more enthusiasm and eagerness. We faced problems with pronunciation, reading, spelling, grammar, and mathematical solutions, but apart from some flawed basic knowledge, their concepts were generally sound. Some children needed more attention than others and so we devoted more of our time to them to make sure that they were not left behind. The experience made me feel pretty good about myself and what the school was doing. It was not only the children who learned something from the initiative: we learned our fair share of things as well! We discovered skills within us that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x;t know existed, and above all, we learned how to bond with these children and to convey concepts to them in a way that they could grasp with ease. Yet again, I must hail this initiative and I look forward to participating in it again as soon as possible. Ahmad Ali Naqvi BMI Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x; Campus Islamabad

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Exploring New Frontiers Mustafa Aziz BMI Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x; Campus

Islamabad t is very difficult for me to compose a comprehensive piece of writing on my experiences in the Community Service Programme 2013 that encompasses all that I came to love about it. To say the least, it was a truly novel experience, which I enjoyed immensely along with my classmates. There was a lot about the experience that I loved. Teaching younger students was the most en-

joyable thing. We savoured the interaction with the new students, and we were able to help them in many aspects of their syllabi and studies, but what I cherish most is the knowledge that I gained from working in the capacity of a teacher. After going through this enlightening experience, the respect that I have for my teachers has been considerably augmented. I have come to acknowledge the pains they bear to teach and educate us, with all their capabilities at our disposal. Standing in the classroom, I realised the efforts our teachers make to ensure that we form concrete and solid concepts of the subjects that they teach us, how they have an infinite capacity for tolerating our mischievous activities, and how magnanimous they are in helping us in our times of need. Though these things may sound exceedingly clichĂŠd, I reiterate them because I have now come to fully understand and comprehend them, and consequently, appreciate them. Not many people truly realise the significance of the efforts and toil of a teacher, and it is because of this programme that I have come to join those who do, to some extent. As I write this, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and indebtedness to my own instructors and pedagogues. Also, I feel that this programme has helped me become a better and more tolerant human

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being, and I am deeply indebted to the school administration and faculty for organising it. I wish to see this programme grow manifold and hope that all the values and ethics that I have gained from it stay with me till my last breath.

A Learning Experience

Huzaifa Saeed BMI Boys Campus Islamabad

he Community Service Programme 2013 was a great initiative from which I learned a great number of things. It was great exposure, especially for the younger students, since most of them hadn't been involved in an activity like this one before. We went to classes all prepared, and we had different activities each day. We made multimedia our basic teaching re-

source as it attracted the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; attention, because they had never seen anything like this in their schools before. Teaching them English was one of the toughest tasks because all of them knew how to prepare their pages, how to write their names in a very calligraphic manner, and how to draw margins, but after doing all of this they would go blank with absolutely no idea what to do next. They did not know how to string words together to make basic sentences and their basic speaking skills were poor. They were reluctant to interact with us at first. It may have been because we were new to them, but I doubt that because most of the time we acted very casually and openly around them, and made it clear on the very first day that they could ask us all sorts of questions without hesitation. My guess is that they were often snubbed in their classes, which was also evident in their hesitance to answer questions. Most of them knew what was in their school syllabus, but learning was very confined and limited only to what the syllabus said. Their general knowledge was nominal, and when we asked some of the students to tell us how they were taught at school, the most prevalent way seemed to be through reading texts. There seemed to be practically no descriptive learning at play in the usual scheme of things. What I felt after taking part in this programme was that our countryâ&#x20AC;&#x;s education system has become obsolete and static, and it is certainly not doing enough to educate our young generation. More needs to be done because these children are the future of our country.

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Back to Basics

was a part of the Community Service Program 2013 and it was a great experience for me as well as for the children we were tasked with teaching. I taught children from Classes I and II. At first they were shy, but they eventually opened up and we developed such a friendly relationship that at the end of it all, I did not want to stop teaching them!

I had to put a lot of effort into everything. I had to start from the very basics. Some students were sharp and picked up new concepts quickly, while others took their time and demanded more attention, which I was happy to give. With Class I, I started with the letters, pronunciation, making words, sentences, numbers, addition and subtraction. We studied the different concepts and activities in their General Knowledge books, basically to open up their minds. I had to revise the alphabet and basics with Class II as they had forgotten everything they‟d studied in their previous classes. After reviving all that, I made them write paragraphs on various topics, short stories, and held discussions in English. In Mathematics, we did addition and subtraction, word problems, and then set about learning the tables and also touched upon multiplication and division. I learned that teaching isn‟t as easy as it looks, and with that came the realisation of how much effort our teachers put into educating us. I sometimes grew tired of explaining to the students the same things over and over again, but eventually learned how to talk to them on their level and got positive results. It was my first time formally teaching children – or anyone for that matter - and I got to see things as a teachers and learned a lot from this experience. Waleed Ikram BMI Boys‟ Campus Islamabad

A Mixed Bag Talal Ali BMI Boys‟ Campus Islamabad

uring the summer break

gent than others, naturally, and it was far

this year, I took part in our

more fun to teach them. But I learned that

school‟s community service

teaching was not an easy job and it required a

in which I had to teach dif-

lot of patience, so I spent extra time and gave

ferent subjects to a class of third-graders for

particular attention to the students who need-

two weeks. I must say that when I decided to

ed it.

teach these children, I believed it would be very tiresome but that couldn‟t be farther from the truth.

After teaching these young minds for a few days, I felt a sense of accomplishment. It felt amazing to know that I had actually helped

The main problem I faced was making the

them learn something. I really enjoyed this

children listen to me, because they kept get-

experience.

ting distracted. At first I did find it difficult to teach them, but after a few days it became much easier. Some students were more intelli-

My Reckoning “Positive people do not put others The Co-Chairman of SOS Sargodha, Sir Sadie Malik, met with the students and

out,”

was the framed inscription hanging on the made a humble request to donate generwall of the SOS Herman Gmeiner High ously to the Village. It had been an extraordinary visit because

School.

The SOS Village is an institute which is op- it gave a boost to my own self-esteem. I erating in over 133 countries, with 13 left the organisation in a contemplative branches in Pakistan. The SOS Village restores the wounded dignity and spirit of the ones who have been subjected to the harsh realities of life. The atmosphere I found inside the Village was very pleasant, for I felt a certainty that the future of those who lived here was secure. Dignity was one of the qualities that stood out in all of the children residing there – they radiated nothing but vibes of positivity and mood; the visit had miraculously altered satisfaction. The children were grinning my perception and instilled in me the influfrom ear-to-and the youngsters were very ential vibes of humanity. respectful.

Husna Ahsan BSS Sargodha

Do Unto Others…

ccording to the Oxford Dictionary, the word „dignity‟ means „the state of being worthy of esteem or respect.‟ So exactly how does one become dignified? It is simply by becoming a conscious member of your community that you can truly become dignified. When you appreciate the self-esteem of other people, you auto-

matically feel honoured. Celebrating Global Dignity Day provides us with the opportunity to increase awareness among people regarding how essential it is to respect your fellow human beings regardless of their caste, creed, race or religion. We were all born equal, then why discriminate between the children of Adam? This day is basically a reminder to all of us to always choose the same for others as we choose for ourselves, treat others the way we wish to be treated and help others live a dignified life. In order to do so, we have to develop tolerance, patience and empathy towards each other. This is something that I learned from the time I volunteered at Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). At SIUT the staff members do practise the principle of treating patients with dignity. I saw the beggar from across the street being treated in the manner people would treat a man who had arrived at the hospital in a very expensive car. Some of the patients, with a meek smile on their faces, narrated their tales of struggles and incessant hardships to me. This made me realise how strong humans are. They fight their own battles with a courage so unique that it deserves to be respected and appreciated. So on this Dignity Day, promise to respect others, to once in a while tell the people around you that they are special in their own way and that you are there for them, as just knowing that you have an ally helping you win the battle against all odds can make all the difference. Rimsha Zamir North Nazimabad A Level Campus Karachi

The First and Topmost Priority

ignity is the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect. It is achieved by helping humanity as a whole or by making societyâ&#x20AC;&#x;s service the first priority for the benefit of the whole community. The best example I can remember would be the time I was sitting in a bus

where an elderly man got in but had no place to sit. Seeing this, I got up and offered him my seat and he smiled at me and sat there. That was the moment I felt dignified, and my act at that very moment signified dignity. I recently worked for an NGO called Serve Our Civil Hospital (SOCH), which helps maintain cleanliness and efficiency at the Civil Hospital. The main challenge faced by SOCH was the amount of filth and dirt around the hospital. I, along with my fellow volunteers, helped clean up the hospital and also spread awareness among children there, who had very little knowledge about how to properly wash their hands. The other challenge faced by this NGO was a lack of facilities provided to the patients at Civil Hospital, which was primarily because of lack of funds. This was resolved by collecting donations from people and using that money for the welfare of the patients and the hospital as a whole. What one must do to increase another personâ&#x20AC;&#x;s dignity is to respect them, not only as a person but also for the work they do, and not make anyone feel like they are beneath anyone else. One must make everyone feel equal. Umer Iqbal North Nazimabad A Level Campus Karachi ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

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Doing Our Duty

ast year, my school sponsored three of its students to do an internship at the cancer ward at National Institute of Child Health (NICH). I was selected along with two other batch mates for this and we were really looking forward to it. To be honest, at first it was a hectic job to wake up early in winter holidays and reach the hospital at 9am, but after spending a

day at the hospital, I felt compassion for these little angels that came every day to get treated. As a result, my enthusiasm increased and I started to put in my 100 per cent effort. I truly devoted myself to community service and I found a sort of inner tranquility when I did so. I was paired with another student from our school; each pair was assigned different wards. On my first day, I was told to educate the parents about the type of care and diet they should provide to cancer patients. After a week, I was assigned to another ward, where children were admitted before their treatment. This ward was always full of scared kids as the doctors gave medicines and injections to them. Here, we had to comfort the children by talking to them or playing with them. Once a psychologist visited the hospital for his own case study and he mingled with the children in the ward to comfort them. One day, he brought his guitar and started playing the guitar, sitting in a circle with the patients. He made the little kids sing with him and the whole hospital came to life. It was a spectacular moment when not even a single kid in the ward was crying. In the 2nd week, I was transferred to the 3rd ward where patients were brought after their treatment. Here, too, the doctors placed and removed cannulas and gave them injections. The doctors in these wards were really cooperative and taught us interns various things like recording patients names, classifying medicines, removing cannulas etc. This was my last week at the hospital and I was content with myself for doing my part in helping these children. The experience was thrilling, and it was something worth doing. I hope to do more internships with different organisations, and I think this is something we all must do.

Aroosha Abdul Ghafoor Gulshan Cambridge Karachi

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An Experience of a Lifetime

n June last year, the opportunity life threw at me was of visiting and working as an intern at the National Child Aid Association

for Cancer. Seeing those little innocent souls fighting the horrible disease and all the scary side-effects of the treatment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; excessive bleeding, hair fall and pain of chemotherapy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; made me realise how determined they were to get cured. The nurses trained us and showed us how to operate a nebuliser, prepare injections and check blood pressure. We took great pleasure in helping the sick

ommunity Service is an important aspect of life and we should all play a part in carrying it out. For

such service, I organised a movie event for charity. The money earned from sell-

children. A day such as the Global Dig-

ing tickets was used to buy different kind

nity day gives us the message of promot-

of books and stationary items for chil-

ing such activities and organising them

dren. I hope my donation helped these

on a bigger level.

underprivileged kids study in a community school funded by such donations.

Kanza Tariq

Hamza Kalim

Gulshan A Level

Karachi

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Forging Ties

e wanted this summer to be a bit different, a little more worthwhile, something posi-

tive to spend our energies on. So, my friends and I decided to do an internship at the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x;s Cancer Hospital. It is a facility for cancer patients who cannot afford good treatment. All we had to do as volunteers was to spend a few hours with these children. But those few hours were the most satisfying hours that we spent our entire summer. We planned a new activity everyday for the children; we tried new games, jokes and stories - anything that would make the kids and their parents happy. It was a wonderful learning experience that taught us how Allah has blessed us more than many people. Seeing someone smile because of you feels wonderful, especially if the person is suffering. This experienced revived the feeling of humanity and we all developed a very special bond with our little friends.

Fatima Sabir Mir Gulshan A Level Campus Karachi

akistan Youth Forum is an independent non-governmental community, which provides

the children of slum areas with free education and other opportunities and curricular activities, to ensure that they do not remain deprived of knowledge. I joined their system to play my part and contribute whatever I can to my country, humanity, and for this fast developing world.

Tabish Azam Gulshan A Level Karachi

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Respect for All “Remember this-that there is a proper dignity and proportion to be observed in the performance of every act of life.” Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121 AD - 180 AD)

n literal terms, dignity means the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect, but to me dignity means being respected for who you are and what you believe in. When somebody taunts us or disrespects us, it doesn‟t feel good. Therefore treating other people with dignity means we are treating them the way we would like to be treated ourselves.

Human dignity is one of the central themes in Islamic teachings. Islam has given high value to human life and health. It has also put significant emphasis on caring for the sick and disabled and identified it as the duty of every Muslim . Good health is termed a divine gift. I, and many of my friends, had the opportunity to volunteer at SIUT and Civil Hospital. As volunteers, we were supposed to improve the patients‟ quality of life and help make their hospital experience a positive one. We did hand washing activity in pediatrics, sang songs to the children and made them feel happy. We spent our time in the OPD Facilitation Booth, where we guided the people about where they were supposed to go for their respective problems.

Syeda Hajra Ali North Nazimabad A Level Campus Karachi

Upholding Honour Rutaba Arif North Nazimabad A Level Campus Karachi

ndividuals upholding the universal rights of people in the community so that they lead a dignified life, mark the true essence of dignity for me. Community service holds grave importance as it gives us a chance to elevate the respect of people who are part of society, with our services at their disposal.

I had an amazing time fulfilling the notion of dignity I had held for so long. Working 30 hours for SIUT, I played my part in creating a dignified community – A community that is working in the interest of the people, and provides free medication to renal patients. From cleaning corridors to singing songs to the kids at the Pediatrics Ward, from listening to the problems of the patients in the waiting area, many of whom had flocked in from interior Sindh, to dusting the files in the Record Room, we had a thorough experience serving the hospital. The time spent there provided me with the perfect opportunity to interact with children – appreciating their colouring skills, joining them in laughter, listening to their dreams and giving them hope that they were no different than other kids out there were the best parts. At the waiting area, different voices in different languages contributed to the din, waiting to be heard. The volunteers sat there giving them hope as they opened up about a barrage of concerns, such as waiting in lines indefinitely. Every person in society deserves due respect and is worthy of being heard. It‟s our job to act like a dignified nation and uphold their dignity wherever possible. Elucidating the hindrances in the way of the dignity of women in particular is a major challenge, and bringing to light such issues that are eating away at the foundations of our society is paramount. I feel that standing up against domestic violence, nepotism, bullying, and the harassment of women is essential for promoting the concept of dignity.

very human regardless of his work as a team on the same tasks on any givfortunate or unfortunate cir- en day. cumstance desires and strives to live a better life. Then why

should not the same opportunities be given to underprivileged people, regardless of their gender, caste, creed, religion, physical disability or nationality?

However, what truly served as a learning experience was our visit to the local villages where most of Dr Yunusâ&#x20AC;&#x;s work is focused. It was inspiring to see and, for a short while, be a part of the drive to bring equality and better opportunities to people who are deprived,

In the summer of 2013, I participated in the

are living under the poverty line, and are ne-

Grameen internship in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

glected. The internship taught me a great

During the internship, I was the member of a deal, but most importantly, it taught me to multicultural team; it was an eye-opening ex- respect all, to seek and welcome the company perience working with so many different peo- of people who are different from me, and to ple from diverse backgrounds. It was hum-

reach out to every human being no matter

bling to share the same rooms and meals, and what their race, religion, or creed.

Laila Waqar FC Campus, Peshawar ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

The Quest for Equality n the summer of 2013, I participated in an internship with the Municipal Services Programme (under the government of KPK). Through the internship, I helped a wide variety of underprivileged people of different genders, ages, castes, creeds and religions.

Everyone was given the same attention, the same dignified treatment regardless of their social disadvantage or minority status. I visited their homes, schools and hospitals with an official team and talked to them about cleanliness and hygiene. I took the time to carefully and respectfully explain to each of them, as our equals, the manners in which they can keep themselves and their surroundings sanitised and hence save themselves from sicknesses and diseases. I also helped in getting them the appropriate vaccination and other essential medicines. After all, prevention is better than a cure. It was perhaps a small step, but a humbling act of humanity nonetheless that has forever instilled in me a sense of respect for all humankind, and a resolve to help everyone regardless of their appearance, beliefs, or background.

Malaika Riaz FC Campus Peshawar

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Striving for More “All human beings are born with a dignity which neither our social status nor our society’s stigmas can alienate”. This thought has been resonating in my mind since I did my community service at a Government Primary School in the dilapidated part of Lahore. I was supposed to counsel the students, of Class V or younger, about the possibilities of new careers and occupations. It was amazing to see their interest in trying out new careers, no matter what backgrounds they came from. Their urge to move forward in life at such a young age and their primal instinct to become the best took me by surprise. There, they were not the miserable children from a very poor house, they were competitors willing to give their best in the small activities we had planned for them. This made me believe in what had been said by Michael J. Fox: “One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalised and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.”

Anusheh Bakht Aziz A Level Johar Town Campus, Lahore US consulate Ambassador for the year 2013

Working for the Community Nabeel Aamir North Nazimabad A Level Campus Karachi

o do work with one‟s own hands is a very useful habit. There is nothing shameful or undignified in it. We find that in this world we can have nothing without work. We have various scientific inventions because of work. If people had not worked, and worked hard, we would never have built

railways, motors, ships, aeroplanes, radios, televisions, etc. If the farmers do not plough the soil, there will be no crops. If the masons, carpenters and weavers do not labour, there will be no houses or shelter and no clothes to cover our bodies. Thus, I find no shame or loss of dignity in working for the community, which I learnt how to during my internships at SIUT and Civil Hospital. It is due to these unique experiences that I saw the misery and hardships of life up close, and I learnt the true purpose of life: to serve humanity. These internships instilled in me an even stronger affection for humanity. Celebrating „Global Dignity Day‟ is a way of spreading this affection of humanity among others around us and urging other people to respect humanity around them, while respecting their own self as well. In my opinion, this is a good notion and should be much appreciated and propagated in order for us to become better individuals and a better nation as a whole.

Shared Happiness is Doubled Happiness

hoever says that organising an event is an easy job must never have organised an event themselves. Sure its fun, but with fun comes pressure, anxiety, tension and the recurring thought about all that could possibly go wrong.

On 5th August, we organised our very first event at the Sirat ul Jannah orphanage. Taking care of everything starting from the 100 iftaar boxes to preparing toiletry bags for the kids all by yourself is a tough job, to say the least, specially when the roads are flooded due to the wild monsoon rains. Our basic aim was to spend a fun-filled day with orphans. The main highlights of the event were the grand iftaari and the giving away of the toiletry bags which included tooth pastes, tooth brushes, soaps, shampoos and hair brushes. The iftaari boxes for which the volunteers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ramish Arshad , Haider Ali Khan, Mohammad Hasan, Zain Shiraz, Mahin Asim, and Zainab Anwar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; generously contributed, consisted of the children's favourite food items. Our team made sure to make the kids as comfortable as possible and what better way to do that then playing their all time favourite games with them. The success of this event gave us a boost of confidence that we direly needed and we are definitely looking forward to organising more events for these delicate little hearts.

Saaniya Aamir

Javeria Khan

North Nazimabad Cambridge Branch

Karachi ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

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A Place Worth Visiting

eeping in mind the upcoming Global Dignity Day, the students of Grades X and XI Cambridge visited the SOS Children‟s Village Sargodha on October 1. The students interviewed the Director and learnt about the importance of such organisations in any society.

The acronym „SOS‟ is generally associated with the term „Save Our Souls‟, but it also refers to the last siren that signals the sinking of a naval ship. SOS, today, with its roots in more than 133 nations promises to provide abandoned, orphaned and destitute children with a new and permanent home. The students learnt that the SOS Children‟s Village acts as a guardian for these children until they are able to look after themselves. They are provided all the basic necessities of life. Every homeless child is given a mother, not just an educator so that the abandoned child learns what love and security means. Each family consists of 10 orphans who are granted protection within the walls of SOS home, just like a normal house with a typical family. Yet, the best service provided by SOS is education. They prepare their students to get ad-

mission to government colleges. Zohar Shah was brought to SOS at the age of seven and is currently doing his under graduation from National School of Business Management. The work they do is undoubtedly

incredible

and beneficial to the highest degree, but the organisation greatly depends upon the charity they get from the local citizens. Our charity is usually the only thing they need for their survival. From the food they get to the salaries of their staff, from household accessories to books, our generosity alone can keep it running. “Every big thing in the world only comes true, when somebody does more than he has to do.’’ - Hermann Gmeiner (Founder of SOS Village)

Sajjal Najeeb BSS Sargodha

ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

Adding Value to Life “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

ach year, SIUT runs a student volunteer programme, aiming to incorporate social responsibility along with education among the Pakistani youth. From 24th to 30th June, I, along with my school fellows, rendered voluntary services to enhance the care provided to SIUT patients and make the most of my vacations.

The 30 hour programme included hospital tours, workshops and lectures delivered by medical professionals. We also watched documentaries on current health issues, followed by lively discussions which offered us a chance to boost confidence level, present our viewpoints and enrich the experience. Furthermore, the staff taught us various first aid techniques and most importantly, we met the inspiring personalities like Dr Adeeb Rizvi and Abdul Sattar Edhi. We were entrusted with different duties in various sections of the hospital like pharmacy, paediatrics and patient care. We even aided cleaning the premises willingly and enthusiastically. From singing and playing with the kids to lending an ear to the distressed relatives and comforting them, we tried to help them in all the ways we could. Indeed, it was an enlightening experience.

ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

A Day with Little Angels

n 25th June 2013, The Youth Leadership Club invited volunteers to spend a day filled with excitement and happiness with the little angels at the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x;s Cancer Hospital. The aim of the event was to encourage them not to lose hope and fight against the disease with

determination; to provide them a reason to smile and give them a sense of what childhood truly is. I, along with other volunteers, tried my best to offer these children a day free of restrictions and full of joy. First, we pooled in an amount to buy the required material for the trip. We surprised the children by presenting gifts, decorating the wards with balloons, arranging a play area and conducting fun-filled activities, especially a drawing competition. Each and every child was encouraged to participate and those who could not walk, were provided with colouring books so they could be a part of the activity and wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x;t feel left out. The sparkle of excitement in the eyes of the children soared our spirits. The event proved to a great success as our mission to bring some happiness in the lives of little angels was accomplished. Most importantly, not only the children and the volunteers, but the parents of the cancer patients also seemed to be having a good time as they saw the smiling and excited faces of their wards.

Saaniya Aamir North Nazimabad Cambridge Karachi

ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

Spreading the Word Ahsan Khokar Faisalabad Campus

ver the summer, I had the oppor-

I also took part in the “People of Sub-

tunity to work with Seeds of Ed-

stance” section in the SEPLAA publications,

ucation, Policy & Legal Aware-

where the team regularly interviewed Paki-

ness Association (SEPLAA), which advo-

stan‟s many unsung heroes. As part of the

cates for the rights of women and children

SEPLAA Youth Development Programme,

in Pakistan.

I also helped to mentor younger students (8-

It is not just a traditional charity-based organisation; rather it works towards making legislative changes to improve the lives of women and children. As a member of the Youth Development Summer Internship Programme 2013, I was responsible for raising awareness amongst the Pakistani youth about women and child empowerment programmes initiated by SEPLAA. My team members and I reached this objective by regularly updating the Face-

12 years) in promoting the mission of SEPLAA and being responsible citizens for the future as well. It was hectic, but also a very enriching experience at the same time. I felt great pride in being part of a group promoting the rights of women and children, who are clearly underrepresented in Pakistan. I would encourage all students to volunteer for such non-profit internships and try and give back to the society and our country.

Making a Difference “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

he students of Beaconhouse School System Sargodha got the chance to work at the SOS Village for an internship during the summer break. This is where we learned the true spirit of equality, love, friendship and respect. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of our life where we saw the world from a different perspective. SOS Village Sargodha is one of the 13 children homes actively working in Pakistan. Run by Retd Col Muhammad and the visiting coordinator Miss Kishwar, the village is an excellent institution with high quality accommodation, food, education and a homely feeling for the less fortunate. Today SOS Village Sargodha hosts above 120 orphans, some who have no one alive to take care of them while others were abandoned at birth. Just take a minute and think; where would they today if such a benevolent organisation did not exist? Instead of being dignified members of society, they would be begging on the streets, and possibly even become drug addicts or criminals! It is the hard work and undying effort of SOS Village‟s administration that these orphans have excelled in the world

and have made a name for themselves, while making their country proud! An O Level teacher in a private school in Sargodha was a former resident at SOS Village. Don‟t examples like these prove what a wonderful role this prestigious in-

stitution is playing in improving society? Being there, having those kids around laughing smiling and enjoying life, actually experiencing everything made me realise this organisation‟s noble cause. I salute the administration of SOS Sargodha for their hard work in making the youth productive and giving hope to the hopeless. I give my thanks to all the people who are working around the world to help the less fortunate. It is a great charitable cause, and I would love to be a part of this initiative.

Noor Zenab BSS Sargodha

Honouring Nurses

Laiba Shams BSS Sargodha

had the opportunity to visit the day care centre within our school premises. It proved to be an eye-opening experience as it allowed me to witness how hardworking people define dignity themselves. The lady in-charge of the day care, despite having to work in a small enclosed place, served with utter determination and was happy with her job. She considered her place to be more dignified than any other. Being on a lower professional scale did not make any significant difference to her status as she believes that she for one can fulfil her own full destiny. Caring for children and attending to their needs is a job she says she was meant to do. She sees her surroundings with such love, humility and care that one can only say that the wisest of all mankind are those who have been gifted with the ability to withhold the dignity bestowed upon them. Surely God made us all equal and surely we are all children of Adam and Eve; we can realise this not only by reading articles but by experiencing the force of self-righteousness and self-respect by treating everyone as one.

orking at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital as a volunteer helped me get a closer look at life. It was a touching experience; spending time with the young and brave patients was an eye opener. I realised how privileged I was and it also made me reflect deeply on the bitterness, difficulties and tragedies of their lives. Yet, I saw hope in the eyes of those who were fighting this battle for survival. This experience brought me very close to understanding life. I understood the true meaning of life and learned to empathise and sympathise with the families of the patients fighting cancer. I learnt a lot from my volunteer experience and every mo-

ment spent there was special and a learning opportunity for me.

ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

Muneeza Shahid Liberty Campus Lahore

Fighting for Life Shonar Mehboob Liberty Campus Lahore

The SOS village for children is a nongovernmental organisation which provides shelter to homeless and helpless children. Every year this NGO gives a chance to students to volunteer as teachers for the children living there. This year, I was blessed with the opportunity to be an intern at this organisation. The internship lasted for one month and was no doubt a once in a lifetime experience for me. I was given the responsibility of teaching a girl of Grade VIII. In the span of one month, I helped her complete her school homework tasks and taught her both Urdu and English. It was not only a wonderful experience, but also an opportunity to do something worthy. I was not only pleased to have helped her but I also realised how privileged I was to be a part of something so huge and noble. It was only possible because I am a proud student of Beaconhouse, where so many facilities are available for us students to do something practical in life. After this teaching experience, I realised that teaching is just not only an honourable profession but it is also very amusing, hectic and requires a lot of responsibility. My student, Mehak is a very jolly and intelligent girl. After school, I would often go with her to her house. Interning at the SOS allowed me to learn a great deal about the problems and sufferings of these orphans. In a nutshell, this internship has made me a better human being.

ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

Lending a Helping Hand

n the winter break of 2012, my

when a child passed away in front of us and

friends and I did volunteer work at

his mother. On another day, we played a gui-

the Child Aid Association through

tar and sang songs with the children. It was

our school. It was a wonderful and

delightful so see the eyes of these children

eye-opening experience.

light up along with their faces. It was a dif-

We saw the sufferings of the young ones battling cancer, when they should have been running around instead of being confined inside hospital walls. The constant stress felt by their families which was visible on their faces.

ferent experience because we got to see the suffering of the underprivileged. It was nice interacting with them and getting to know about their lifestyle. The staff at this place was also very cooperative. We got to meet people from other campuses and made friends with them.

We had to be there at 9am and got done by 2pm. It was tiring, yet fun. We did our turns in the OPD, the regular ward and the ICU.

If I had to do it over again with my friends and the same people, I would.

The most heart-breaking thing for us was

Sarah Zia Gulshan Cambridge Child Aid Association ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

ast summer, I signed up for an internship at Fatima Memorial Hospital for two weeks. It was an excellent experience with my friends at FMH. As an intern, I gained lot of knowledge and insight into the psyche of patients and saw how important it was to have good understanding between patients and

doctors. Everyday there was a new experience as we visited various departments. We also went to FMH School for the unprivileged children. It was a new experience as we taught the students there. A profound insight into the problems faced by such children led me to think about helping them out on a long-term basis. It was a totally different world and I realised the blessings the Almighty has showered upon us.

Fatima Waseem Liberty Campus, Lahore

ÂŠ 2013 - Beaconhouse

Global Dignity Day 2013 Celebrations Central Region

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Global Dignity Day 2013 Celebrations Southern Region

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Global Dignity Day 2013 Celebrations Northern Region

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Global Dignity Day 2013 Celebrations International

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Designed and developed by the Academics Department and Corporate Communications, Beaconhouse Group Head Office. All material included in the Dignity Magazine Vol I reflects actual events and comprises first-person accounts of students‟ experiences related to Dignity. Edited by: Corporate Communications - Editing Section Compiled by: Academics Department - Learning Centre