By Haris, English Access Program Alumnus from Karachi
This is Haris, an English Access Karachi Alumnus of the 2010-2012 program. I live in an area of Karachi where there is a lot of waste of precious human resources. A number of my childhood friends are doing time in prison while many others struggle day to day just to exist. Very few of us have had a chance to get on track to a better life. Where I was raised, working at the age of 11or 12 is common.
So, instead of focusing on learning to make good grades or to prepare myself to be able to pursue my dreams, I was working at a bicycle repair shop, fixing the common man’s ride, for which I never got paid a penny because according to my boss, I was learning a trade, and that (of course!) was payment enough. Repairing bicycles all week earned me the privilege to try and sell two bicycles per week. Every weekend, I would ride two bicycles at once to take them to be sold at the weekly flea market of Korangi. I was paid around one hundred rupees (approximately $1 dollar) if I was lucky enough to sell both bikes. Later on, I managed to move up in the world when I got a job at a cell phone repair shop for the increased pay of 20 rupees (roughly $0.20) per day.
As a kid, my biggest achievable ambition was to run my own bicycle shop, and there was nothing to suggest that I would ever be able to do more than that. Yet, I had a dream — a dream to succeed in life. I was one of the best students in my school, making decent grades; however, I hung out in bad company. I didn’t know that life could ever be more than those 20 rupees a day, and I didn’t know what it was like to be appreciated for my work, nor did I know how I could personally be involved with benefiting others. Basically, I didn’t know that getting an education is not a geeky fashion — it is a necessity — and that I too, was not living, but merely existing.
Finally, in 2011, after clearing my 10th grade exams, I finally found my calling. I was selected to receive a two year scholarship to be part of the English Access Microscholarship Program funded by the U.S. Embassy. Through this scholarship I didn’t just learn English but was introduced to a totally new world. Because of Access, for the first time in my life, I had a chance to travel by air. I was selected to participate in a 14-day summer institute held in Islamabad for Access youth from all over Pakistan. After this, I took a part in a number of leadership training workshops, conferences, and social projects throughout the country, which transformed me into who I am today.
I realized that I was not made for repairing bicycles, motorbikes, or mobile phones, but rather destined for much bigger and better things. I realized that illiteracy in our society is like dirt, and I was living in it.
In 2012, I participated in a public speaking competition organized by the English Speaking Union of Pakistan, I was honored as the favorite public speaker by public vote. Then, I was awarded the title of “Best Debater” by Infaq Foundation. So, that led to the current me — Haris — the motivational speaker, youth trainer, influencer, and advocate for youth development, advocating for positive change and for growth. Like Michelangelo who painted, Beethoven who made music, and Shakespeare who wrote, each person needs to find his/her calling and then build on it, for “if you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall in someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”
I now have a team of change agents, and together we are bringing positive change in Pakistan by our initiatives. To continue to improve my skills, I am studying at FAST-National University, from where I have completed my first two semesters, and for both semesters, I was selected as an academic assistant in my department. This is just the beginning of my journey, and there’s no looking back. I am looking forward to achieving much more in my life.
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U.S. Embassy Islamabad’s English Access Micro-scholarship Program provides English language skills to 14-18 year old students through afterschool classes and summer learning activities. Students gain an appreciation for American culture and democratic values, and increase their ability to participate in Pakistan’s socio-economic development–and future U.S. exchange and study programs. Pakistan has the largest Access program in the world with more than 5,000 students in 18 locations across the country! To learn more, visit http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/english_lang_programs.html.
