DAY 3 AT KASHMIR WITH HOPE – QUESTIONS THAT INSPIRE

 

I hear the rain pattering outside as I wake up to a beautiful but humid Muzaffarabad morning. After a quick breakfast, we make our way to Dr. Mubina’s house in which is in a picturesque outskirt of the city and from there we set out on the 2-hour journey to the HOPE school.

The winding roads go higher and higher and around me is the most serene, untouched natural beauty that I have ever come across. Mostly the roads are paved, but in some places due to landslides roads are broken and the car ride is bumpy. My daughters sigh and gasp collectively as the car veers dangerously close to the edge of the roads. As we look down at lush green mountain sides with coniferous trees standing tall, the tongue voluntarily utters praises to the Creator. I shudder to think of what would happen should the driver err slightly to the right; the fall would be steeper than I’d like to imagine. He drives calmly, and slowly but surely, we ascend the mountains. The air begins to get cooler and the scenery around us gets even more stunning. Pine trees are now replaced by Deodar Cedar trees and Dr. Mubina helps us understand the topography of the region.

The car begins to slow down, and we find ourselves in a small village in the mountains. There are plenty of maize plantations and fruit trees sway to the rhythm of the wind. I spot a guava hanging from a tree and a little further off, I see a pear tree. We walk down the side of the road and down some rocky steps. What I see next literally takes my breath away.

In the middle of the jungle, surrounded on all four sides with stunning un-spoilt natural beauty is the Home school of HOPE - An NGO in Pakistan. We are given a hero’s welcome and the delighted children hand me a beautiful bouquet while some others shower us with rose petals. Dark clouds seem to be forming overhead and the teachers want the show to begin without further ado. In the next hour or so we witness the children of the mountain give in some stellar performances. There are folk dances, a funny news skit (clearly, the sense of humor is spot on) and there is one a hard-hitting speech about the importance of teachers, but what touches the heart the most and moistens the eyes are the patriotic songs about protecting one’s land which brings to life the plight of the Kashmiri people.

Each child wants to prove a point; every performance is special. Their shoes might be a little broken, but their hearts are as open and pristine as the mountains they live in. I feel the enthusiasm of the children like a palpable vibe, and I can’t help myself as I sing along and applaud generously. Sitting next to me Dr. Mubina tells me that coming here to the villages of the mountains, the heart gets softer – when you are surrounded by the granite and the buildings of the city, it hardens the heart. As I reflect on this wise thought, the slight rain continues, but our young performers remain unfazed and at the end of the show, an award ceremony takes place. Children who have done exceptionally well academically are acknowledged and a community leader appreciates and thanks HOPE for doing so much for these children.

While Muzaffarabad is a city dotted with several small schools, very few are up on the mountains. The journey we undertook to reach the school showed us how hard it must have been to establish the institution there and then to continuously monitor it for quality and assistance. HOPE’s work and presence in the rural communities is commendable, they provide not only an education to children, who quite simply, would not have been able to go to school had the school not been there, but they also actively mentor their students. We are served chai and snacks by the staff team, many of whom have been with HOPE for many years.

 

Mrs. Fozia Rizwan, the HOPE coordinator who looks after all of HOPE schools in Kashmir (more than 10) as well their hospitals and vocational centers, has mentored these women and helped them become breadwinners, too. She smiles as she tells me that these children and teachers have now become like family. “Sometimes, I have to reason with them and cajole them, other times I just to hear them out and help them, and at times I have to be a little strict – at other times I have to applaud and appreciate them.” The skills and the dedication that one needs in order to work with these people and communities is truly remarkable and Mrs. Fozia is a vital cog in the network that HOPE – An Educational NGO in Pakistan has created in these breathtaking valleys.

 

Dr. Mubina has mentored her team exceptionally well, everyone works with a selfless spirit, but at the same time, there is professionalism and common sense at play when working with the local people. Later as we hand out gifts and snacks to children, their smiles mean the world to us and the joy we feel is unparalleled. I’m extremely thankful to Dr. Mubina and her amazing team for taking us to this awe-inspiring journey where we got to experience, firsthand, the hospitality of the Kashmiri people, and the delight of interacting with them.

 

There are some key moments in life which make you wonder why you have been created, and where you are going. Some people have more years in their life, while some have more life in their years. This experience with HOPE has helped us ask ourselves these great existential questions and inwardly reflect on how we have lived so far, and where we go next. The meaningfulness of life we experienced in those few days in Kashmir trumps anything I have ever witnessed before. For it is when you live for others, is when you truly live. I can’t thank HOPE and Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla – A Child Specialist in Karachi enough for the inspiration, and most importantly, for helping us ask the right questions.