Quest for knowledge: Determined, Saima confident of beating odds

Gold medallist and eldest of eight siblings, seeking job to overcome hurdles.

ISLAMABAD:

Saima Bibi, a gold medallist, has achieved distinctions in her educational career through sheer determination, working during the day to finance her education, but it now looks she will have to postpone her dream of studying for an additional qualification.

Daughter of a retired driver, Saima clinched a gold medal in MBA from the Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology Peshawar last year and is looking for a new job to finance her education. Saima now wants to do MS Finance from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology. “I’ll have to discontinue my studies for some time, but I’m confident I’ll be able to achieve my dream.”

Considering her record, the prospects look bright. During her two years at university, Saima worked for a college in the morning and attended classes in the afternoon four days a week. The last three days, she taught students at home to pay her semester fee, because her father couldn’t afford the expenses. Saima has seven siblings and all are studying. Her father is a shopkeeper in Farash Town. Although Ishtiaq Ahmed is proud of what she has achieved, he cannot afford to finance her education.

Former K-P governor Masood Kausar awarded Saima the gold medal at the convocation but she was not in the list of students who received laptops from former chief minister Amir Hoti. “Getting an education has been my dream since childhood and to make it a reality, I will do whatever I can,” said the class topper Saima.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.