Youth empowerment: Interns praise rural-urban student linkages

LAHORE:

“Visits to schools and hospitals made me understand my responsibilities as a citizen of this country,” Iffa Imran, a student of Lahore Grammar School said on Wednesday.

She was talking to The Express Tribune at a ceremony organised by NUR Student Leadership Programme (NSLP) for its interns.

The ceremony was titled Hamara Pakistan. Organisers of the event said the programme wanted to inculcate patriotism and responsibility among its trainees. A tableau was performed by students of Nur Community Outreach Programme on Lub Pey Ati Hai Dua, followed by a brief presentation by Shahima Rehman, founder and president of the Nur Foundation.

CM Road Map Special Monitoring Unit Head Azaaz Akhtar, National School of Public Policy Rector Ismail Qureshi, Descon Chairman Abdul Razak Dawood, Department for International Development (DFID) Head Ben French, Child Care Foundation CEO Yasmin Zaki, Save the Children Programme Manager Naveed Jafferi , Bali Memorial Trust Chairperson Laila Nusrat, Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) CEO Ali Sarfaraz, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) Punjab and Citizen Foundation Head Sohail Saleem and Punjab Vocational Training Council Chairman Faisal Khan also attended the event.

Farhan Khan and Sheeza Imtiaz, interns from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, said they had organised bake sales and participated in medical camps.

They said the 30-day experience had taught them about living conditions in rural areas. “Hearing stories from students from rural areas helped us see shortcomings of the public education system,” they said.

They said such activities helped bridge the gap between rural and urban educational institutions. “We made new friends and learned so much from one another,” they said.

Maham Rasool, another intern of the programme and student of Beachonhouse School, said she visited hospitals and interacted with patients there. She said she was also part of a team that visited polytechnic institutes. A video on NUR Foundation and Fatima Memorial System was also screened at the ceremony.

It highlighted the institution’s work in education, health and economic empowerment. An experience-sharing session was also held for students. Later, a prize and certificate distribution ceremony was held. The ceremony ended with a parade to Iss Parcham Kay Saye Tale Hum Aik Hai.

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