For the love of mountains: Inspiring legacy to continue

Bushra Farooqui passes away at 42 during trekking expedition in Oman

KARACHI: The CEO and founder of Inspire - For the Love of Mountains, a charity for education in Baltistan, Bushra Farooqui, passed away at the age of 42 while on a trekking expedition in Oman, the family said in a statement on Saturday.

Her funeral took place on September 4. Bushra was born in Karachi. She graduated from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in 1996 and went on to work in the financial sector, not only in Karachi but also in the UK and UAE.

Her passion for trekking, mountaineering and the outdoors combined with her desire to contribute to society converged in the establishment of ‘Inspire - For the Love of Mountains’ in 2014. The Inspire Initiative Ltd. is a charitable organisation supporting primary education in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Bushra opened primary schools in Sadpara and Malpan. The main aim of the initiative is to provide quality education to children from underprivileged backgrounds. Today, there are 360 children, both girls and boys, between the ages of four and 14 years enrolled in these two schools.

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Inspire works with community leaders to establish Village Education Committees that hire local teachers and help ensure the enrolment of children in school. The overall support provided by Inspire Initiative comprises teacher salaries and professional development, school supplies and materials, uniforms, school maintenance and development.

The secondary aim is to promote the beautiful mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan through involvement in community development projects, organising awareness of this region and participating in charity treks in Pakistan and other countries. Inspire’s focus for 2015-16 is to sustain funding for the ongoing projects and carry the vision forward.

Since her untimely and tragic death on August 30, there has been an outpouring of affection from not only her friends and well-wishers across Pakistan, the UAE and the UK but also from all the children in Sadpara village whose lives had been touched by Bushra Farooqui and for whom she was a mother figure. The family has expressed its deep appreciation for all the messages of support and condolences. Bushra’s family is keen to take her inspiring legacy forward through an already established system and structure that steers Inspire’s projects in Baltistan.

For any queries about Inspire, please contact her sister and member of the board of directors of Inspire, Aisha Farooqui at [e-mail]. The official website address is www.inspire-initiative.org

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2015.