Updated 17 October 2012

The following article is one of a series of reports on ‘DELIVERING THE FUTURE’ where we will share some of The World Federation’s amazing experiences from our recent visit to Pakistan’s flood affected areas. Sayyid Aliraza Naqvi, Assistant Secretary General for Islamic Education and Kaniz Bhimani, Relief Manager for International Relief and Development visited Pakistan’s rural communities to see the progress of our activities in Pakistan between 14 and 21 September 2012.

Today, almost one half of Pakistan’s population is unable to read or write. One out of every two girls is still illiterate. Recent facts given by the ‘Educational Task Force of Pakistan’ in 2011 reflect that 1 out of 3 rural women have never attended school. Whilst these statistics appear discouraging, our journey into Pakistan’s rural landscape revealed something unexpected. Travelling in and out of villages for 7 consecutive days, we had the wonderful opportunity of speaking one on one with children, youth, mothers, fathers, and educational administrators. We found that these statistics are on the verge of changing as a new culture of ‘liking’ education is emerging hand in hand with the people’s spiritual growth.

What do we mean? Let’s have a look:

ISLAMIC EDUCATION:  NURTURING SPIRITUAL GROWTH
With contributions made to the ‘Islamic Scholars for Islamic Centres Fund’, The World Federation has started  delivering its vision of building strong, sustainable and spiritual communities by having selected and placed 35 religious guides in our newly built Islamic Centres across Pakistan. These guides were carefully chosen by expert scholars and administrators who know and understand the specific needs of the different villages. In Ramadhan 1433, a 3 week training programme was held for the benefit of these new guides which covered a range of topics including programme objectives, roles and responsibilities and evaluation. These Islamic scholars are:

• Young and able to connect with children and youth,
• Educated in both secular and Islamic studies and understand and promote the importance of education, 
• Dedicated to delivering our shared vision

To monitor the progress of this initiative, a Programme Coordinator was appointed who each month personally visits these Islamic Centres and meets with the scholars. In a short period of 2 months, these guides have worked hard to established Islamic education classes for children, jamaat daily prayers, Friday prayers across 8 Islamic Centres, Thursday night programs with Dua Kumayl, and lectures on morality, akhlaq and practical Islamic living. These are programmes that up until now never existed in these villages.

Today, children and youth have learned to recite salaat and Du’a Hujjat, more and more Islamic Centres are overflowing with people at Friday prayers, and lectures promoting morality, akhlaq and practical Islamic living are changing the way people think. Gradually, these religious guides are nurturing the spiritual growth and enlightening the hearts of so many men, women and children who are responding to the call of the Ahlul Bayt (as) with eagerness, hope and gratitude.

TRADE SCHOOLS:  FROM SPIRITUAL GROWTH TO PERSONAL GROWTH
As the people’s faith in Islam is developing, so is their self-confidence and self-worth – especially among the women and children. During our visit to Masjide Sahebuz Zaman in District Muzaffargahr, the village women were keen to meet with us. One of their most passionate appeals was that we establish a learning institute for them where they could acquire various skills including sewing and how to operate a computer. This hunger for education became more and more consistent each time we me with the community women where we had placed religious guides.

This desire to learn and develop new skills was truly inspiring and not something we had experienced during our March 2011 visit. Whilst we visited schools and colleges that cater for girls and women, the concept of setting up trade schools in villages is something that our partnering agency in Pakistan will now begin to explore.

Going back to our goal of delivering the future through a balanced approach to building strong, sustainable and spiritual communities – we can say that whilst we still have a long ways to go, the work has already started.

DELIVER THE FUTURE
Donations to the ‘Delivering the Future:  Islamic Scholars for Islamic Centres Fund’ will fund the placement of desperately needed religious guides in the 105 newly built Islamic Centres across Pakistan’s scattered and remote villages sponsored by The World Federation. This initiative is essential to ensure that the centres are properly utilised, and that people, especially the children and youth are educated in Islamic teachings. This project is underway and the results are phenomenal. The cost of sponsoring one Islamic Scholar in one Islamic Centre for an entire year is only £965 GBP / $1,540 USD-CAD per year. Donors to this fund are making a real and lifelong impact on thousands of men, women and children who are rediscovering the light and guidance of the Ahlul Bayt (as). Sponsor an Islamic Scholar in full or in part and join us in ‘Delivering the Future’.

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For more information
Please email relief@world-federation.org or islamiceducation@world-federation.org