Resilience to Persuasion of Education
In the late 60s, Female Education was even not visualized by the communities in Hunza Gojal but Imam of the time emphasizing on role of female education in the community development since 1940s. His guidance was creating positive thoughts in the mind youth of that time. Among them Gulam Rasul was one from Shimshal who became inquisitive about female education. He visited Karachi and observed girls in school and offices there he recalled the guidance of Imam of the time, which was reaching to the communities’ continuously. He planned to establish a girl school in Shimshal on his return. He also observed some girls from Chitral busy in schools in Karachi.
This encouraged him and in 1972 as he came back to his village he established his own girls’ school in a local old house. The school was running with no fee no salary. His brother heartened him to spare some of his family time for the purpose he visualized for girls education. For two years he managed the school on his fate and then in 1974 the school was taken over by Aga Khan Education Service called Aga Khan Education Board at that time. In this regard, people will not forget Sultan Ali Samarqand and Ghulam Uddin who provided the highest level of contribution in inspiring girls’ education in the region. As the Shimshal Girls school was taken over Gulam Rasul was salaried and the school reached from access to sustainability level. During the 11 years, Abulfaz was the only person who managed to travel dawn to central Hunza with his daughter Annul Nissa for the annual exam consecutively for three years from the 6th to 8th of her daughter’s education. The rest of the students gave up education due to lack of access to higher-level school. As she passed her 8th class exam she was appointed as a teacher in the DJ school Shimshal. Annul’s travel for perusing education stimulated other girls to leave the village for annual examinations. Following her Hussen Bibi and Fatima become the first girls reaching high school education but rest of their classmates and seniors also gave-up studies. Both of them were also appointed as teacher in DJ School. In this process teachers in Shimshal volunteered and prepared them for examination and their parents took them to Karimabad for examination. In 1985 Aga Khan Education Services upgraded the school at the level of class 8th so access to middle-level education was provided in the village. As the school was upgraded Aga Khan Education Services established coaching center in DJ Middle School Shimshal so two of the teachers were coaching girls and preparing them for the 10th class exam.
This opportunity exhilarated several students to reach the high school level but college and university education remained far away for several more years. Parents were not able to send their daughters to any high school in central Hunza, where high school education was available but without accommodation. Aga Khan Academy was another beam of light for students to peruse higher education. In 1993 Ahmad Ullah Baig and Qurban Karim were the first to embolden their daughter to join Aga Khan Higher School Karimabad previously called Aga Khan Academy. Meanwhile there were no university in GB, Zohra was the first student who joined the university and in the next year, Taj Begum and Saeeda Aman interred University education in Islamabad. 1n 2013 Khalida Aman Joined Wisconsin University USA and Shafia Mirza Women…… In 2017 Saeeda Aman and Farzana Najeeb pursued their M Pill degree and stamped that remoteness and hardship never handle the determination and persuasion. Though due to remoteness and hardship several competent students could not reach the destination where they had to go but the road to quality education was open now. Yes, track to Shimshal was not easy students had to walk for three days one side from Shimshal to the nearest village Passu on KKH, and then to get a vehicle for reaching the educational institutes in Islamabad the nearest city more than 700 KM from their home. Thus University can be joined after 18-24 hours drives from Gilgit to Islamabad. They had to stay two or three nights with their parents in huts between Passu and Shimshal where no human settlements can be found.
They had to face rock sliding between Shimshal and Passu and on the KKH from Multansar to Mansehra. They had to cross the river through a single wire with high risks between Shimshal and Passu. People were not aware of the importance of education but aware of risks for a female when they are out of the home. Out of Hunza, Ghizer and Gilgit they were observing abhorrence for girls’ education. Having these all resistances nothing was hard for them to reach their goal. Thanks, AKES, P which opened the door of quality institutions like Quid I Azam University, Wisconsin University USA, …….. Bangladesh, …….. India and now many more. Even Aga Khan University in Pakistan and many more abroad which cannot be covered here. There are several high achievers but the above were risk-takers and road builders. Today one of our daughter Sidra Asad qualified for IIS Landan.
No matter where you live if there is a beam of light, it leads the person come out of the darkness. Important is to recognize wherefrom the beam of light is coming and set your goal and open the door to enlighten the darkness. Again thanks to AKES, P which encouraged Daulat Amin to follow the beam of light and open the doors for males and Ghulam Rasul for female students.
The same hardship was for boys. Since 1947 to 63 Shimshal got only two students Daulat Amin and Rahman Tay with high school certificate who had to cross Qarun Pass a full day walk on one side. Rest of their class mates could not reach even to class 8th. Even a few could reach at primary level among them Were Gulam Rasul, Aziz Ullah, Rajab Shah, Muhabbat Shah, Charagh Uddin, Nadir Shah, Muhammad Qaba and a few more. Johar Ali was the first among students interred University education in early 90s while in late 90s Muzafar Udding went abroad for higher education. Concerning to Ph D education, Aman Karim become the first not only from Shimshal but also from whole Gojal to complete his P hD in 20s. It took almost 70 years to reach at Ph D level. Now we have several Ph Ds in Gojal, even girls.
No matter how hard resistance is if we should be determined, resistances are our friend and led us to strength. If we will blame the resistance will lose but if cope them positively change is there and that resistance helps higher than where we are. Sometime resistance is not to stop us but to care us. I will give me and my friends’ example. My grandmother did not allow me to get out of the village for education, it does not mean she was against my education but was missing her care for me. The same I and my friends’ mothers were crying while we were leaving the village after vacations, it does not mean they were standing against education but missing us with them.
Usually we stand with unproductive activities for becoming esteemed, which pushes our vision in to darkness, while we crass age of 40 we realize we are behind other thesn we start blaming other. My suggestion to youth is we should not blame others for our frailer but should set our goals, discuss it with our parents, relatives, well-wishers and stand strong for our bigger positive, futuristic vision and goal, God is there to help everyone. Make sure if we are without vision and goal we will miss Gods kindness as well.
By: Aman Ullah Aman Maad
