AYESHA IQBAL: THE UNSUNG HERO OF PAKISTAN
From believing in herself to breaking stereotypes, teaching children on roads to building a campus, arranging medical camps for transgender to developing skills in them, Ayesha Iqbal, the co-founder of Faiz-e-aam welfare trust dealt with hurdles to help the deprived section of society in her 12 years of journey.
The moment of realization struck her when she saw the children, the future of Pakistan is at risk as they can’t get education due to financial problems.
She started off with teaching the street children under trees and with the passage of time with the help of friends and family she built a campus called Mount Hira Charity School for these children till class 5.
“I feel wonderful when children who didn’t want to study pass the 5th class board exams with
flying colors and now they want to pursue education even after class 5.It feels like I have
achieved something in life.” said Ayesha Iqbal.
The children whom their parents want to earn after class 5, skills are developed in them under
The vocational program of welfare trust and they are taught to earn money through hard work
instead of begging.
“Begging, earning money without effort is like an addiction which is hard to leave.” she
The school project served as the driving force behind all her projects either it’s a street store
program or free medical camps all are carried out under the umbrella of Faiz-e-aam welfare trust.
The most recent program of the welfare trust is for the grooming and developing skills in
transgender. She shared that it is difficult to convince people about doing something especially
for transgender because our society always look down upon them and humiliate them. While
sharing the experience and obstacle she faced in this project she said,
“People are more interested in discouraging you specially women rather than motivating you for a good cause. The most common line is one person can’t bring the change.”
This was not easy for her. She was threatened that the school she is running will also be shut
down. But this discouraging and threatening attitude of people didn’t lessen her courage and she
continued to move forward. She made the transgender community realize that they are as
respectable as any other person in the world.
“There were two major problems. First changing the mindset of transgender and second was
changing mindset of people about them. Fortunately I succeeded in convincing transgender.”
Now the training of transgender is done in which they the computer skills and cooking, tailoring
and Quran classes are conducted from which they can able to earn money respectfully but the
other battle is still there.
“Who will buy things from a transgender? The other battle is still there to be fought.”
Ayesha Iqbal, a working mother of three children manages her personal and professional life
efficiently. While sharing the experience of personal life she told that her husband was not in
favor of this work but she managed to convince him.
“You can’t leave something just because it’s difficult. Nothing in life is easy. In order to
achieve something you have make sacrifices. "
Despite of so many certifications, Mrs Iqbal feels proud only when her children said her,
“Mama, we are proud of you and my children help me in doing this work by their choice.”
She realized that she has been a good role model to her children in this particular field and her
children had always seen this in their home so they know that these are also the things one
should do in their life.
The people who discouraged her 12 years ago now want to have a cup of tea with her.
Sometimes she feels amazed when,
“When people who don’t know me come to give donations because they see me on social
media or had seen me practically doing this work. This is amazing. Pakistani’s are a generous
nation.”
