Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the remotest regions of Pakistan. People face various problems ranging from basic life needs to those required to pace life with the Global world. The most significant challenges include access to education, lack of infrastructure, internet connectivity, and study culture in the absence of libraries. But above all, lack of educational resources is the most focused problem to be dealt with so that individuals trying to pursue opportunities in their academic journey. Getting an education in such a harsh environment is a testament to the struggles individuals face during their academic journey. These problems often begin when students enter higher school which is the stage from where the real race for education starts.
These challenges can be best understood through my journey in higher education. I still remember the bitterly cold days of December when the temperature dropped below freezing, and life was extremely difficult to sustain with scarce resources. Besides living with such limited resources, struggling for greater academic excellence was an even greater challenge. I still remember the days when my friends and I desperately searched for a platform where we could sit, discuss our queries together, and do group studies. Despite our many efforts, we did not find a suitable place to study. This symbolized how the lack of educational resources became a significant barrier to accessing education. However, these struggles ultimately led me to tap into my hidden potential to think creatively and finally provide the path to work wisely and convert all those challenges into opportunities.
These experiences deeply motivated my commitment to breaking down these barriers and creating opportunities for the community. Those early days fostered a desire within me to work for the development of my community. That sense of responsibility only grew stronger as I progressed to the university level; the commitment I developed in my early years left a long-lasting impact and forced me to reflect on the need for change at every stage of life. However, everything comes at its own time, just like the journey toward proving this dream began when I got a chance to work on an education sector project during my BS program’s sixth semester at university. There, I found a mentor, Dr. Attar Rashid, who continuously motivated and encouraged me at every stage.
During this project, we established a student-led society at the departmental level, namely the GPP (Governance and Public Policy) Student Society. Through this platform, we arranged different activities for our students, including webinars, seminars, and weekly book review sessions. Later on, we also built a street library based on the principle ‘If you have it, drop it; if you don’t, take it’. I was so inspired by this project that I started thinking about extending it to my native village, Thoi, Gilgit-Baltistan. However, building such a platform in a remote area is not easy. It required high efforts, resources, and, most importantly, a dedicated team willing to commit time and effort but my determination to serve my community drove me forward, and I took the first step.
Despite many challenges, I remained focused on the idea and prioritized team-building. To begin with, I reached out to my eight closest friends with whom I had previously worked on several. When I discussed the idea with them, they agreed and showed interest in the project. From that point on, “I” became “we” because we all shared the same goal: to build the street library in our village and give more people access to education. In the beginning, we held meetings to spread the word. We visited schools and talked to teachers, parents, and students to explain our idea and get their thoughts. We got different reactions. Some people liked what we were doing, but others made fun of us. I still remember people making jokes of us, but we ignored them. We were committed to our goal: to build a street library in our area.
It is well said by Paulo Coelho, “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’ The same thing happened to us”. Our only goal was to build the street library, but Allah had bigger plans. During our fundraising campaign, we received a significant amount from a generous person. This spirit inspired us to magnify our mission. Finally, we are able enough to introduce our mission at the community level where every individual from various backgrounds access the opportunities to stay coherent with the Global world. Instead of just building a street library, we had a bigger idea and started working towards building a public library. Which we think is more sustainable and helpful than a street library.
This was a pivotal moment. However, in the meantime, the biggest challenge we faced was securing avenues. We needed a proper building to set up the library. For this, our primary approach was Ismaili Local Council Thoi, and we formally submitted a proposal requesting the allocation of a former community prayer hall for our project. After months of persistent efforts, we finally succeeded in convincing the council. They permitted us to proceed with the setup. In securing the venue, there was an unwavering support of the Local Council Thoi throughout this journey.
Once we secured the venue, the next step was constructing and setting up the library. The construction process took about a week. After four months of continuous struggle, we were finally able to establish a platform named ‘Human Library Thoi.’ That moment was filled with immense joy and happiness for all the team members. The joy and sense of accomplishment among our team members were extreme.
However, our journey did not end there. While we were excited to have completed the project, ensuring its sustainability and transforming it into a true learning hub remained our biggest challenge. On the first day of the library opening, we encountered an issue we had never anticipated. Some parents hesitated to send their daughters due to safety concerns. The main reason was that we did not have a librarian initially due to budget constraints. As the project relied entirely on volunteers, the challenge was even greater than the previous ones because we had not expected it at any stage. However, as the saying goes, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’
Our deep commitment to our goal made this statement come true. We continued our efforts and were fortunate enough to receive support from another generous donor who agreed to fund the librarian’s salary. Our devotion, commitment, and consistent efforts practically reflect this statement. We indeed become a source of motivation and the way forward. Deeply motivated by our commitment, another donor from the community took responsibility for paying the librarian’s salary. This further strengthens our efforts, and finally, we can create a trustworthy environment for community people to enable to increase girls’ access. With this, we were able to hire a female librarian to manage the library’s daily operations.
Once we hired a librarian, we gradually gained the community’s trust, and parents began allowing their children to visit the library. Over time our struggles transformed into rewards. The library quickly became a beacon of hope for many individuals and the students started visiting the library. The number of daily visitors has reached 50 which is continuously increasing.
Now, the Human Library Thoi is a new type of learning center. It’s not only about books but also about sharing knowledge through events like book discussions, talks, and competitions. We held more than ten book discussions, with over 40 parents, teachers, and young people taking part. In addition, we had three career advice sessions and a two-day Model United Nations event, where more than 30 students joined in and did different activities. This helps students learn skills and use them in their daily lives. Furthermore, one of the best results is that our project has inspired other people. More than six similar centers have been started in different areas, which show that small actions can create big changes.
Moreover, our platform isn’t just for students; it includes everyone in the community. Parents and older people take part, reading with their children, sharing stories about their lives, and encouraging young people to work hard. Their involvement has motivated us, making us even more determined to keep working for the good of the community.
At last, but not least, we can say that the journey was tough, but at every stage, it provided opportunities to learn and create meaningful change. From this entire journey, I have learned one valuable lesson: “When you truly want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
