Bay Area's Link to Pakistan
By Nadia Aftab
aftabn@loomisgroup.com
With all the turmoil and heart breaking stories headlining the world news about Pakistan, the Bay Area Pakistani community often feels helpless when hearing endless news of anguish from overseas. Loved ones living in the US often fear for their family’s safety back home given the changes in government and over 3.5 million refugees misplaced from their homes. Education in these conflicted areas is often a low priority.
According to a recent World Bank study, approximately half of the world’s 70 million out-of-school children currently live in conflict-affected states. The report offers insights into the challenges of educating children and teenagers in war-torn communities. However educating children in these areas has tremendous benefits, which yield measurable results in the long-term.
In 2005, a group of young Pakistani professionals started YOUR DIL, Youth Outreach Development in Literacy. YOUR DIL is a non-profit organization working to eradicate illiteracy in remote and neglected areas of Pakistan by establishing primary and secondary level, non-formal schools for underprivileged children with a primary focus on girls.
The New York Timesrecently said of DIL: “Mr. Obama should make his first presidential trip to Pakistan — and stop at a DIL school to remind Pakistan’s army and elites that their greatest enemy isn’t India but illiteracy.” With chapters established nationwide, YOUR DIL has been working diligently right here in the Bay area to raise awareness by holding charity-based events to encourage youth to support this cause.
YOUR DIL’s San Francisco chapter will be holding a benefit concert this Saturday, 6/27 with one of Pakistan’s most notable bands, Strings, at Spangenberg Theatre in Palo Alto. All proceeds will go directly to building schools and educating these Pakistani children in rural areas.
Despite the challenges and difficult tasks non-profits face, YOUR DIL’s work is now more vital than ever. Fighting illiteracy will no doubt provide better quality of life for future generations. If you are interested in learning more about YOUR DIL I’d be happy to connect you with the Bay Area chapter president and those who work endlessly to help make a difference for the lives of those thousands of miles away right here in our backyard.
Phone: 408 393 6861
