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Digital Reports
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
ZAHRA ASHARIA’S REFLECTIONS - 2007 HASHOO FOUNDATION'S YOUTH AMBASSADORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF PAKISTAN
An Unforgettable Experience. Expect the Unexpected…
Zahra Asharia
I expected the unexpected. In Houston, they told us there would be thirty to fifty students in our classes. So naturally, expecting the unexpected as I knew I should prepared myself for teaching a class of fifty. The thought of it was scary, intimidating, and unthinkable. How would three American teachers, who in reality
are only students themselves, teach a group of fifty Pakistani girls? What would we teach them and How would we teach them? Will they even listen to what we have to say? While I was undoubtedly nervous at the start, my nervousness soon turned into excitement as I learned we would be given more thorough and concrete plans upon our arrival to the Northern Areas. I no longer felt that great weight on my shoulders; I no longer felt the pressures of responsibility. I relaxed. I relaxed and I waited. Waited for the day of our arrival to Gilgit. Waited for the moment I would be handed a nice thick packet telling me what to do and how to do it.
Well, that day finally came, but the moment never did. I had no packet telling me what to do, no guidelines given, instructing me and leading me on the right path. The weight that I carried not too long ago instantly returned, as I soon learned that instead of thirty students (or even fifty for that matter), we would be teaching around 70 to 100 students in our morning and afternoon classes. Nervous, worried, shocked, the sole comfort I found there was a loving and generous staff supporting us, helping us, standing with us always.
There was no escaping. The weight I carried wasn’t leaving me anytime soon. After coming to terms with our situation, the three of us immediately got to work. It was up to us to make a curriculum, to teach a group of girls who were giving up their precious summer time to learn English, to gain confidence in speaking English. Using our past experiences to help guide the present, we created a curriculum incorporating exercises, songs, and engaging and interactive group activities. After working together, listening to and learning from each other, I felt surprisingly prepared for the day ahead of me, the first day of classes.
We arrived to our classroom in Danyore Village fifteen minutes early and were met with smiling faces, hand shakes, greetings of “Hello Ma’am” from the 100 students already there. Their faces showed the passion to learn and a willingness to engage. They participated, and they were involved. Their cooperation was unbelievable, their answers to questions profound. Each day, as the number of students in our morning class (Danyore Village) and afternoon class (Sonikote Village) increased, so too did our confidence. The three of us were no longer the only teachers in the class. The students, our friends, were teachers as well, teaching us more than we could have ever taught them.
“As cliché as it sounds, my experience was unforgettable, life-changing. I left Houston with one perspective of the trip, and came back with a completely different one. How self-centered, how insensitive was it for me to think that I would be told exactly what and how to do things, that everything depended on the three teachers coming from America. That only I would be the teacher and they, the students. My trip to Northern Pakistan, among other things, has truly helped me to begin to understand what it means to learn from others, to improvise, the think on my own, and to truly Expect the Unexpected.”
Click to see more pictures
Zahra Asharia
I expected the unexpected. In Houston, they told us there would be thirty to fifty students in our classes. So naturally, expecting the unexpected as I knew I should prepared myself for teaching a class of fifty. The thought of it was scary, intimidating, and unthinkable. How would three American teachers, who in reality
are only students themselves, teach a group of fifty Pakistani girls? What would we teach them and How would we teach them? Will they even listen to what we have to say? While I was undoubtedly nervous at the start, my nervousness soon turned into excitement as I learned we would be given more thorough and concrete plans upon our arrival to the Northern Areas. I no longer felt that great weight on my shoulders; I no longer felt the pressures of responsibility. I relaxed. I relaxed and I waited. Waited for the day of our arrival to Gilgit. Waited for the moment I would be handed a nice thick packet telling me what to do and how to do it. Well, that day finally came, but the moment never did. I had no packet telling me what to do, no guidelines given, instructing me and leading me on the right path. The weight that I carried not too long ago instantly returned, as I soon learned that instead of thirty students (or even fifty for that matter), we would be teaching around 70 to 100 students in our morning and afternoon classes. Nervous, worried, shocked, the sole comfort I found there was a loving and generous staff supporting us, helping us, standing with us always.
There was no escaping. The weight I carried wasn’t leaving me anytime soon. After coming to terms with our situation, the three of us immediately got to work. It was up to us to make a curriculum, to teach a group of girls who were giving up their precious summer time to learn English, to gain confidence in speaking English. Using our past experiences to help guide the present, we created a curriculum incorporating exercises, songs, and engaging and interactive group activities. After working together, listening to and learning from each other, I felt surprisingly prepared for the day ahead of me, the first day of classes.
We arrived to our classroom in Danyore Village fifteen minutes early and were met with smiling faces, hand shakes, greetings of “Hello Ma’am” from the 100 students already there. Their faces showed the passion to learn and a willingness to engage. They participated, and they were involved. Their cooperation was unbelievable, their answers to questions profound. Each day, as the number of students in our morning class (Danyore Village) and afternoon class (Sonikote Village) increased, so too did our confidence. The three of us were no longer the only teachers in the class. The students, our friends, were teachers as well, teaching us more than we could have ever taught them.
“As cliché as it sounds, my experience was unforgettable, life-changing. I left Houston with one perspective of the trip, and came back with a completely different one. How self-centered, how insensitive was it for me to think that I would be told exactly what and how to do things, that everything depended on the three teachers coming from America. That only I would be the teacher and they, the students. My trip to Northern Pakistan, among other things, has truly helped me to begin to understand what it means to learn from others, to improvise, the think on my own, and to truly Expect the Unexpected.”
Click to see more pictures
Thursday, November 15, 2007
ANJUM ASHARIA'S REFLECTIONS - 2007 HASHOO FOUNDATION'S YOUTH AMBASSADOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF PAKISTAN
An Unforgettable Experience…
Anjum Asharia
“There are many things I could focus on as a lens through which to describe my experience as a Hashoo Foundation Youth Ambassador in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Cross-cultural relations, the importance of dialogue, globalization, politics, service, integrity, passion—this is the rhetoric that first came to mind when I began to reflect on the summer of 2007. But I would like to write using the oldest lens we have: love.”
One of the defining features of the Hashoo Foundation Youth Ambassador Program is that it is experimental. For the YAs, it has proven to be an experience that fosters personal growth and awareness. Because the program is an experiment, the ambassadors are forced not only to dive in head-first into their activities, but they themselves must create the activities. A daunting task, when one is in the Northern Areas, with limited material resources and limited time.
This is where love comes in. To achieve anything, especially when the circumstances are so radically different than the “norm”, requires a certain kind of dedication to the task. And for me, that dedication sprouts from love. Without love for the people we were working with, the Hashoo Foundation Staff at Gilgit and the young women who attended the classes, I believe we would have failed at our task.
Not only were the relationships created with the students and the staff our fuel during our time in Pakistan, but they have also been a driving force in my life back at home. Another opportunity to visit the Northern Areas would be amazing, but the one trip I have taken there has given me many lifetimes of happiness and an abundance of love.
“There are many things I could focus on as a lens through which to describe my experience as a Hashoo Foundation Youth Ambassador in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Cross-cultural relations, the importance of dialogue, globalization, politics, service, integrity, passion—this is the rhetoric that first came to mind when I began to reflect on the summer of 2007. But I would like to write using the oldest lens we have: love.”
One of the defining features of the Hashoo Foundation Youth Ambassador Program is that it is experimental. For the YAs, it has proven to be an experience that fosters personal growth and awareness. Because the program is an experiment, the ambassadors are forced not only to dive in head-first into their activities, but they themselves must create the activities. A daunting task, when one is in the Northern Areas, with limited material resources and limited time. This is where love comes in. To achieve anything, especially when the circumstances are so radically different than the “norm”, requires a certain kind of dedication to the task. And for me, that dedication sprouts from love. Without love for the people we were working with, the Hashoo Foundation Staff at Gilgit and the young women who attended the classes, I believe we would have failed at our task.
Not only were the relationships created with the students and the staff our fuel during our time in Pakistan, but they have also been a driving force in my life back at home. Another opportunity to visit the Northern Areas would be amazing, but the one trip I have taken there has given me many lifetimes of happiness and an abundance of love.
Monday, November 12, 2007
NATASHA JAMAL’S REFLECTIONS - 2007 HASHOO FOUNDATION'S YOUTH AMBASSADORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF PAKISTAN
An Unforgettable Experience…
Natasha Jamal
“I would be honored to participate in a program like this again because it left me with a changed and broadened perspective. It also introduced me to some of the hardest working and most interesting people I have met. We weren't just their teachers; we were their friends, sisters, family.”
Upon arriving in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, I felt a flurry of emotions. I was amazed by the beauty of the region and the kindness of the people, I was anxious and excited about the challenge that lay ahead of me and often frustrated and deeply saddened by the poverty I saw around me. While teaching, I tried to keep my initial reactions to the region in mind. I got the opportunity to work with nearly two hundred extremely intelligent girls who were coming to class during their holidays in the interest of seizing an opportunity: learning English, practicing with self-confidence and participating in a cultural exchange. The girls were constantly curious about American culture and education and asked many thought provoking questions beyond just the ordinary. While, we, as Youth Ambassadors worked many hours each day to make sure that we were giving the girls the most we could offer, it was really them that took this opportunity and flourished. They were attentive and interested, funny and curious, hard working and relentless. They did not stop at learning about our culture either. Rather they introduced us to theirs. They showed us their local songs and dances and insisted that we participate in them.
The love, respect and compassion they showed us is really not something I can explain in words--it is something deeply felt, that I still feel whenever, I think about those girls and the experience. I would be honored to participate in a program like this again because it left me with a changed and broadened perspective. It also introduced me to some of the hardest working and most interesting people I have met. We weren't just their teachers; we were their friends, sisters, family.
Their kind gestures such as inviting us to visit their families or preparing a surprise meal for us are things I will never forget. Aside from the girls the local team in the Northern Areas also treated us with utmost respect and kindness. They were constantly supportive and encouraging. We could not have done anything without their tireless effort. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity I received. Upon leaving the Northern Areas,
I realized I had a responsibility to the region. I was to inform my friends, my peers, my family members about what was going on here; about the capacity of the girls, their kindness and respect, and their willingness to spend their short holidays in class, furthering their opportunities. Finally, I hope to encourage others to visit the Northern Areas, to volunteer their time because it is only through firsthand experience that one can truly understand what it is I am simultaneously so passionate, emotional and attached to.
Natasha Jamal
“I would be honored to participate in a program like this again because it left me with a changed and broadened perspective. It also introduced me to some of the hardest working and most interesting people I have met. We weren't just their teachers; we were their friends, sisters, family.”
Upon arriving in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, I felt a flurry of emotions. I was amazed by the beauty of the region and the kindness of the people, I was anxious and excited about the challenge that lay ahead of me and often frustrated and deeply saddened by the poverty I saw around me. While teaching, I tried to keep my initial reactions to the region in mind. I got the opportunity to work with nearly two hundred extremely intelligent girls who were coming to class during their holidays in the interest of seizing an opportunity: learning English, practicing with self-confidence and participating in a cultural exchange. The girls were constantly curious about American culture and education and asked many thought provoking questions beyond just the ordinary. While, we, as Youth Ambassadors worked many hours each day to make sure that we were giving the girls the most we could offer, it was really them that took this opportunity and flourished. They were attentive and interested, funny and curious, hard working and relentless. They did not stop at learning about our culture either. Rather they introduced us to theirs. They showed us their local songs and dances and insisted that we participate in them.
The love, respect and compassion they showed us is really not something I can explain in words--it is something deeply felt, that I still feel whenever, I think about those girls and the experience. I would be honored to participate in a program like this again because it left me with a changed and broadened perspective. It also introduced me to some of the hardest working and most interesting people I have met. We weren't just their teachers; we were their friends, sisters, family.
Their kind gestures such as inviting us to visit their families or preparing a surprise meal for us are things I will never forget. Aside from the girls the local team in the Northern Areas also treated us with utmost respect and kindness. They were constantly supportive and encouraging. We could not have done anything without their tireless effort. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity I received. Upon leaving the Northern Areas,
I realized I had a responsibility to the region. I was to inform my friends, my peers, my family members about what was going on here; about the capacity of the girls, their kindness and respect, and their willingness to spend their short holidays in class, furthering their opportunities. Finally, I hope to encourage others to visit the Northern Areas, to volunteer their time because it is only through firsthand experience that one can truly understand what it is I am simultaneously so passionate, emotional and attached to.
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