Speaking of girls in schools of Pakistan on behalf of themselves

Speaking of girls in schools of Pakistan on behalf of themselves

Caught my attention, like me, like millions of people, the story of Greg Mortenson's humanitarian flowing with passion, commitment and courage. I was also like many others was disappointed about everything I read on the existing dispute. Charges against Greg dangerous, and allegations of financial mismanagement of the education which is based on the community and called «Central Asia Institute» annoying. The management of donations of money to people millions of dollars in liability should not be taken on non-seriously. Should investigate these and other accusations and deal with it appropriately. We need to hear from Greg, and give him the opportunity to deal with these allegations.

I visited two years ago, three of the Asia Institute schools in Pakistan, has been filled with excitement for the girls Tmlohn access to the opportunity to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, as a result of the education they receive. I met members of the local team of the Institute of Central Asia, there has Amtlon pride in the work they do and Besdaguethn with Greg.

While the last details of the story to emerge and become the facts more clearly, I hope not to lose the broader vision and goals that inspired initiative Greg, that the building of schools and the education of girls more effectively to peace and long-term development of the drone strikes, and that the understanding of different cultures requires patience and the ability to listen, and that each of us can do something, it might be a bit more than we do now, to make this world a better place.

For me, it was not «Three Cups of Tea», a story of transformation of the mountain climber Greg maker to humanitarian work, just an inspiring book, but a bridge we desperately needed to understand the part of the world through our common humanity rather than just the requirements of political geography. Developed stories Greg human face on an important region, and revealed aspects of my culture, admire her and the most impressive: respect for the elderly, the hospitality and generosity towards strangers and the desire for learning, which are rarely seen in the method monochrome, which is often colored by the region by the media. I hope with all my heart is not failure of the warm feelings generated by this book as a result of the controversy.

Journey began Greg, regardless of whether that is done in Korphe or Khin, or even in Timbuktu, as a result of the sympathy that led to the construction of the first school, and pushed him through years of work tireless and danger, before that there will be more books selling or rewards for lectures or nomination for the Nobel Prize.

There are now thousands of girls who benefit from the commitment of Greg and the Centre for Central Asia, the education of girls I met some of them in Pakistan. Sadia has not ratified it would return to school after the devastating 2005 earthquake, which killed a hundred girls from her school. She is now trying to decide whether to become a doctor or a teacher. Ship as well as shared and read and Fatima, who are young women who received the mission from the center of Central Asia, their vulnerability in adult and happiness Mtabathn to obtain advanced degrees, after their mothers encouraged them never having been given a chance like this. Nasreen, who was forced to leave school after the death of her mother, a young, working now to end the certificate of medical assistance to be able to teach other women in the villages far from her village.

Then there is Fawzia, which met last month in Washington, DC. Fawzia I met Greg in the Kashmiri village of 2006 and invited him to drink a cup of tea in the tent where her family was assessed after the earthquake, and then finish her degree in law and studied. Greg offered her, was impressed by insisting a mission to study in the United States. It took two years to convince her family, but when I did this, took advantage of every opportunity to've had it, I learned to snow ski and ride a bike and riding and Taekwondo and English. Today it is the first employee at the center of Central Asia in Pakistan, and a global advocate for the importance of educating girls.

These true stories about real women and their real life real hopes. Whatever the outcome of the controversy now, the dreams and the dreams of thousands of others are those that must continue and be nurtured. In otherwise the shock will be great


Common Ground
Bahraini newspaper Al Wasat - No. 3165 - Sunday, May 8, 2011, corresponding to 05 Jumada II 1432 AH