Volunteering...A feeling of Warmth!!

In June 2010 I came to volunteer in UNICEF through an organization that I believed was well established and would be the best option for me to give something to the children of the city. I was in contact with the organization's staff for weeks before my joining date, making sure that I had all of the details correct. 

I  took all of this in stride, although a little leery being a young woman alone for the first time in a big working circle, because I just wanted a great experience. The organization was 20 min away from my house and daily i had to drive there. After attendance we had to leave for the villages where 2 or 3 roomed houses were hired to be used as schools. Basically the motto of the organization was to give non formal education to the children of age range 3-18 years and provide them basic awareness about their well being. Those kids were nomads and living a very low life lacking basic necessities of life. The little angels had to work in surgical and sports factories to help their parents in making their both ends meet. The most tragic reality was those little kids were acting as Sex workers because they were paid for it. I cant believe my eyes when i see those scars, bruises and horrible injuries which child labor had brought to them. I mean keeping myself in a mother's shoe i cant bear my little child working even in the kitchen.I broke in tears when i saw maturity instead of innocence in their eyes because they had so much in their little heads.many of them were victims of physical, mental and sexual abuse. These abuses had caused adverse affects on their psychosocial health and personality. Actually i was their as an analyst and my job was to do their psychosocial analysis through questionnaires and my personal observation.after that i had to report the hired psychologist about their condition so they get the required treatment as soon as possible. I think of those big industrialists as Pharaohs who used those tender wounded pair of  hands to stitch footballs because they can stitch really fine.i had a chance to talk to a 7 yr old  boy while i was doing his assessment,these are the words he said to me "I don’t like stitching footballs, but have to. I often prick myself in the process, have a constant back ache and my eyes hurt. I wish I could go to school.” working for community and interacting with the people isn't an easy job because its very hard to convince them as they are illiterate and unaware people.they are living in their own shells doing anything for money and making their children do it too.Its like exploiting their morals and blocking their access to education. I had a strong feeling that our future is in danger because these stars are to shine in order to bring prosperity in our motherland and not to be furnace in the heat of experiences. Any ways we worked day and night to educate them enough that their survival could be made a little easier in this modern world although it was a non formal education pattern but still it helped a lot. I myself took training with them and learnt a lot.sitting between them listening to them on one hand made me happy and on the other hand depressed.because when they say we want to become doctor,engineers or teachers i prayed from core of my heart that please Allah give them opportunities and fulfill their dreams.and the thing that made me happy was they still have their fingers crossed for a better future. Those few months changed my entire life.They gave direction to my aims and goals.now then I knew what I have to do and  where do I stand. I pledged myself that Alina you wont be wasting any time now this what you are here for and this what you have to do Inshallah.Seriously if one ask me what is spirituality i would instantly suggest serving HUMANITY..

Author Profile: Alina Khan

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