Report from BHW Pakistan Partnership Facilitator

Key person: Edward Qasar

Recent Events

Activities

The ongoing, day to day administration of this project is the main activity. They run extra events from time to time for potential and past students to tell stories and encourage each other. The last one was just before Easter 2024.  

After the BHW team visit in March 2023 the budget was increased by 10% on the advice of the facilitators.  

Students

As at 30th May 2024, there are 58 students being supported on a regular basis in tertiary education. The majority of the students are studying for Intermediate and bachelor’s degrees in the medical field, but there is a range of areas of study including engineering, justice, education and also vocational training.

They are also sponsoring 20 students who are studying in 9th and 10th grades, entirely because of their family's financial situation. 

The total number of students supported by BHW is 78. There are some others supported by other small donors and Edward and his family also support some. 

Personal Stories

Florence

Florence was a student of MSc Chemistry at Al Minhaj University, Lahore. She lost her parents as a teenager and is living with her three sisters in a rented house. While studying she worked as a student teacher and earned money to pay her house bills. Her younger sisters are working in factories as sweepers. She stopped her studies in 2017 and requested funding from EGM for sponsorship to enable her to recommence her study. She has now completed her master's in chemistry and is teaching in St John's Degree College as a senior teacher, earning $200 per month. This is at least double what a man could earn as a casual, daily worker if he got work every day all year. (The top photo is her a couple of years ago.) 

Arwa Younis

Arwa Younis (right) has completed her four-year BS Nursing and one year internship in a Government hospital. She is now working as a staff nurse in Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore and earning $270 monthly. She is very thankful for the financial support over five years. 

BHW team members have met Arwa on several occasions and it is great to see that she has successfully graduated and is now employed. 

Tania Nadeem

Tania is a student of DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy. Her parents passed away and she is living with her uncle in Lahore. She could not afford her fees and was working part-time in a school, but it was not enough. She requested financial support from EGM for her second, third and fourth-year fees. She is now in her final year of study and doing very well. The BHW team met her on the last visit.

Sarmad Sarfraz

Sarmad is a student of Fsc premedical at Forman Christian University. This photo (below) was taken in March 2024 of him receiving a cheque to pay for his college fees. He passed his matriculation with A+ grades. He is also serving with his father in a local church. His father, Pastor Sarfraz has been serving Christ with EGM Pakistan since 2007. 

Ideas for the Future

Edward wants to continue this programme and grow it significantly. His strategy is to get people into training in areas that will provide them with employment opportunities. Most are channelled into education and health. 

As part of the larger plan, Edward wants to establish a nurse training establishment. He has a good relationship with leaders of some local hospitals that would give his students training opportunities. It would create several opportunities for the Christian young people in Lahore, a training option for them in a safe environment, employment opportunities for administrators and tutors, and jobs for those who train. We are in ongoing discussions with him about this.

Current Issues and Challenges

There are two major, related issues they are currently facing:

1) The number of students that have applied for scholarships is huge, hundreds of applications are on file. These largely come via word of mouth. 

2) The cost of education is increasing every semester. There seems no end to the increases and there is little they can do about it apart from the ongoing slide in value of the Rupee which mitigates the damage somewhat. 

Overall, the economy is not healthy and ongoing political instability constantly puts pressure on society. Inflation and radical influences enhance the difficulties. 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) The economic situation in Pakistan is placing extreme pressure on people. As most Christians are at the bottom of the economic heap, they suffer the most.
2) Pray that the young people who graduate each year will obtain jobs, be faithful in their employment and contribute well in their churches, families and the wider culture.
3) Pray for wisdom for Edward and his team as they hear so many stories of poverty and distress but cannot help everyone. We know that the process regarding who can join is fraught with many hard decisions.
4) That as these young people earn more and establish families the cycles of poverty that have existed in many of these families for generations will be broken.