THE JOURNEY CONTINUES . . . . . . . .

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES . . . . . . . .

I am a very passionate Pakistani. I take Pakistan with me wherever I go, from the way I look to the things I do and say. Since my return from the IVLP in February 2007, I experienced many new and adventurous things in life. And I am sharing this all with you here because man has evolved by learning from each other and perhaps some of my experiences could be of use to you in your own lives. Also it is enlightening for us to observe how one achievement supports the others in becoming successful stories. Also observe (while you go through this essay) how I have utilized my experiences from my trip to States and used them to promote work in Pakistan for my people. This in my view should be how we should contribute if we have had the chance of gaining knowledge from the rest of the world....

Soon after my return I was interviewed by several TV channels, invited on various TV talk shows / discussions and was exclusively interviewed for a live Radio show. This was all very encouraging and the best part was that I got to share my IVLP stories with people all across the globe (and hopefully inspire some in the process).

By the mid of the year I was chosen to be a part of a group of forty participants from all over Pakistan for training vis-à-vis selection of consultants for a project of the British Council (Pakistan) and I am proud of the fact that I was selected from the same and am now amongst a group of 10 consultants who are trained in Africa, UK and Pakistan by African and British senior consultants and we are now working for development of youth all over Pakistan with special focus on Leadership, where I am also utilizing the learning from my IVLP experience. During my journey, I have also had the opportunity to meet many prominent international figures such Mr. David Milliband (Foreign Sec. UK), Dr. Kenneth Kaunda (The great African leader) and many more.

I also was generously invited to participate in selection, interviewing & training of school children from all over Pakistan by the country coordinator of International Education and Resource Network (iEARN). This was a very interesting experience. The children after selection are then sent on a one-year study in the United States under the Youth Exchange Program (YES) and they act as little Pakistani ambassadors. Because of my experience in IVLP I had a good understanding in selection and training these students for their participation in this program. I enjoyed this immensely.

I try to remain in contact with a lot of wonderful people I have met in different States and we exchange ideas and knowledge from time to time. For example, soon after I came back from IVLP, for a brief period of one year I joined one of the leading Financial Company of Pakistan, (they deal with electronic safe keeping and transfer of shares in the market) anyway when I joined I was designated with the task of designing the upcoming year’s calendar and for the same I got in touch with a Lady whom I met at the Library of Congress during my visit and she & her colleagues were kind enough to share some very good ideas from Historical point of view from the Library content.

During this time I have also had the opportunity of serving as Project Director for an upcoming unique Boarding school of excellence in Karachi (God willing, it will be first of its kind in the region). Again meeting with educationalists and visiting several schools during IVLP has added much to my knowledge which I utilized extensively for developing concepts and linkages for this school which will have boys and girls from all over Pakistan. I wish the school loads of success.

For the past few months now I have been involved in facilitating school heads and staff in learning latest ICT tools which will help them connect their classrooms with those from other regions/countries so on and so forth. This also has been a most amazing experience so far and through this I have been lucky enough to travel to some of the most remote and fascinating parts of our beautiful Pakistan.

There comes a time in all of our lives when opportunity knocks on our doors and it may be in any form. Now it is up to us whether we answer the call and how we answer it. Choice is simply ours.....