Young Female Professional from Gojal in European Alpine (by Zulfiqar ali Khan)
Mussarat Parveen is a young development professional working with AKRSP as Institutional Development Officer. She belongs to Shishkat Gojal. Presently she is in Germany on a one year International Leadership Training with InWEnt. As part of the training, she did a 40-days internship with International Association for the Protection of Alps (CIPRA) in Lichtenstein. CIPRA has published her interview and experiences in “Future in Alpine” Newsletter.
You can read this interview below or click here for the newsletter: Future in the Alps.pdf.
Mussarat Parveen is a 26-year-old Pakistani woman and together with 25 other people from mountain regions of Asia she is taking part in a further education programme organised by CIPRA together with the development organisation InWent. In Pakistan she works for the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme. This development organisation uses participatory processes involving village and women’s organisations to try and alleviate poverty and improve the living conditions of the population in mountain regions. As was the case with the other participants a six-month stay and a language course in Germany enabled Mussarat Parveen to acquire a sufficient level of proficiency in German for a six-week practical course with CIPRA International in Schaan (the first of two such courses on the further education syllabus).
“As part of the programme, which focused on change management, I was able to learn about communication skills and methods of conflict management,” says Mussarat. During my practical course with CIPRA I found out about methods of know-how transfer from the Future in the Alps Project and observed at first hand the dynamics of CIPRA’s network activities. Taking part in the anniversary celebrations for the network of municipalities in Schruns/A and the subsequent workshop on governance capacity was also very interesting. Over the past few months I have been able to visit many interesting projects in the areas of energy, tourism and social capital. I was able to get lots of new ideas, ideas which could also be put to good use in Pakistan. In tourism for example, farmhouse holidays is a fascinating concept and could offer new prospects for tourism in northern Pakistan, which has declined sharply since 9/11.”
The InWent programme continues, and in January 2008 participants will have a second opportunity to attend a practical course on the environment and sustainable development with organisations and institutions in the Alps. By transferring know-how from the Alps to other mountain regions of the world, Future in the Alps is contributing to the global transfer of know-how. For the staff at CIPRA, working together with Mussarat was also an interesting opportunity to get to know the culture of Pakistan and find out about a different reality.
So encouraging!
I am happy that a female from one of remoted regions of Pakistan like Hunza could able to get such an opportunity to represent the country on international level.It encouraged me specially I stdied her mervelous report in an international Magazin .Believe me people I have doubled my study time since this morning as I dont know why I got such an emmenmce energy from this article and Miss Mussarat’s succes as female.I need now the prayers of readers that I could color my career with good marks in my MBA final at LUMS.
Anika Gulwadood
Is she finished from LUMS?
if yes when?
Irfan Tajammul
MBA 2006
Vow! do you remember you were my co-bencher and College Prefect in third year in Jutial Gilgit.
Sadia Nawab
Lahore
Musarat is realy role model for the sons and daughters of Gojal.
prayers for her future projects
It is really encouraging for us that the daughters from our region are in leading positions in different NGOs. Many of female professionals have completed their Master degrees from USA, UK and other countries.
We expect that they will not only contribute for their families but for the society also. For many reason most of qualified female professionals are unable to contribute directly to the women in their villages.
I think the person after such exposures, not benefiting the women in their villages and regions are of no worth.
it is so nice that our area people work in germany
Good to know that Mussarat is doing well. I had a chat with Andreas of CIPRA last month, he seemed impressed by her work.
Excellent! keep it up.
Amin Beg
Ps: Sorry, I couldn’t read the article, there was some problem in downloading the pdf.
I am pleased and extremely happy to know that Mussarat is doing a great progress. I wish her a greater success in her future endeavors
My best regards
Role of female folk in Gojal in all the walks of life are laudable, ranging from upbringing the educated youth to scaling the mountain peaks. Mussarat has set a wonderful precedence for other female of the region, by echoing their voice in Europe.
Wish her all the best
Iqbal Barcha
Mussarat has proved herself very well by performing on international Development stage in her little age she is a succesful asset in the future for Gilgit.I believe she can be agood leader after attending this course.
Gazala Nasir
Gilgit
Mussarat, I am really impresed and want to say that I am proud of you. I am sure you will make differences in our area so please, keep it up. Good luck for your future.
Thanks Zulfiqar for your encouraging attitude in sharing successes with all of us. We are proud of you too.
Well done mussarat and others. AKRSP is proud to provide such opportunities to bright young women from our area to prove themselves at the international level. And it is their success that drives our programe towards ever more innovative projects and partnerships.
Izhar Hunzai
General Manager
AKRSP
It is indeed a pleasure to know that women from Hunza are doing Hunza Proud
Timur Beg
DELL USA
Musrat Well done! It is good to know about your performance at CIPRA, it is a great contribution to encourage young women of Northern areas to prove their capabilities in leadership.
Fazal Ali Saadi/UEA Norwich
Dear all,
the importance of female education is getting importance day by day because it has a significant impact not only on the family lives but on the overall society and it is very much important for the development of a society. We have so many examples and role models and Mussarat is one of them and we are really proud of them. The credit goes to all those Organizations which provide such bright opportunities for the youngsters especially for female.
Congrats Musarrat on the marvelous achievement. This is a new height of progress for the coming females to follow and is indeed sign of a progressive society backed by the financial support of the parents, moral support of our society, and the vision of MHI.
In the current picture, we may think we are moving towards gender equality in a balanced society. However, I am afraid; in the future we may lose the equality and start educating parents for the importance of male education. This is not a hunch or based on any inside knowledge, but, a reality. I am leaving in Karachi from the last three years and observed that majority of the male students are studying on self help basis. Whereas, all the female students, from Hunza to Karachi, are being sponsored by their parents or guardians. Just take the example of Karachi University where 7 out of 9 students admitted this year are female.
Boys! There exists no bill for you in the parliament. So, work hard and raise your voices in the society.
I hope Musarrat will be a precedent for all males and females and I pray for new summit for her in the future.
All the best
ali
Hello All..!
i am very pleased to know that MUSSARAT is doing her one year master,s degree in international leadership traning from germany its fabulous. and the iniative she has taken is a great way for other comming genration specially for female population in upper hunza being an educational planner i do apperciade her efforts in educational field and services for all of us…..
Didar Karim Bari
NUML university islamabad
First of all i would congratulate my very dear friend Noor for such a splendid work he has embarked on.
As far as my sister Mussarat’s current programme in germany is concerned,I think this will not only benefit herself but the entire communtiy and, especially, the females who are no doubt more progressive and have put a very good impression on the entire communtiy and is an indication towards the real progress.
I would personally invite students who are at the crossroads of their careers, as a young molecular geneticist, to get into the stream of science as well which is mysterious at first but once you are in will find an immense world of great importance.
Best regards
Aslam Khan Ghalib
student of molecular genetics,laohre
Nice to read a lot of comments on this article. I also gone through many very important articles but very few readers have commented there. That is why i again gone through this article to find out what is important here. And that i found was Gender aspect and was not to appreciate any real achivement.
WE ALL ARE PROUD OF SUCH A SISTER OF UPPER HUNZA, GOJAL. THIS WILL PAVE AN UNERASABLE BENCH MARK FOR THE WOMEN FOLK OF NORTHERN AREA AND SPECIALLY HUNZA.
THIS IS DUE TO MANAGEMENT OF AKRSP, WHOEXPLORED THE POTENTIAL AND PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITIES TO THE REALLY DESRVING,TALENTED, FUTURE CRAFTERS. WITH OUT COOPERATION OF IZHAR, GM AKRSP, AND ALL HIS TEAM THESE OPPORTUNITIES SEEM VERY RARE.
I M OF THE OPINION THAT THERE ARE 1000 THOUSAND MUSARATS WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL BUT WHO NEED SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES.
LOT OF SUCH WISHES TO ALL SISITERS OF NORTHEN AREAS AND SPECIALLY TO MUSARAT AND HER PARENTS
BAIG ALI
CHIEF ENGINEER
OGDCL
Let’s hope that the young lady will come back and serve the poverty-ridden community and not migrate to a greener pasture in search of more hafty salary as is a preactice in NGO sector. What a great brain drain process in the name of development?
Its a matter of immense pleasure for all hunzai’s particularly for women folk to have such an inspiring person like Ms. Mussarat… i congratulate her and salute her for whatever she has done in her field and for being an inspiring figure.. God bless you!!!
Youngsters of hunza!!! For God sake please try to be a role model and an inspiring figure for your upcoming generation instead of getting indulged into undesirable and unwanted activities that you are in… please do not obstruct the way of progress by being invovled in unbecoming things. By doing so you are destroying the future of upcoming generation..
Your life is a raw material and you have to flourish it to a valuable gift towards God.
regards
Fahmeda, Lahore
Our life is not just restricted to a certain boundary it yields to grasp the highest it encounters…here the ambitious enjoys the opportunity and the directionless fails to be recognizable.
Ms mussrat has done her best and inspired all of us to be like her…
Its not the end; its just the start of her as well as all youngsters journey towards heights of prosperity and progress.
One day hunza will rise to the most worthy position in the entire world.
regards,
rehana (BBA) Hons
Lhr
Hay Rehana and Fahmi(my university collegues),very nice to see both of you on pamir times.It is really great that people of great credentials and credibility are joining this plateform.
I m personally happy to see new faces coming up with new ideas that are really thought provoking.
keep it up.
Aslam Ghalib
student of molecular genetics,Lahore
We are Proud of our two Leaders,Zulfiqar and Mussarat on doing their best performance at the international level. This is what the AKDN is doing its utmost efforts to give the best opportunities to female in educational development in our area.
We are PROUD OF YOUR BEST EFFORTS. I, as a family member of Mussarat should add a comment for her that you are now going to start your Journey as a SMART Leader for your region, country and foremost for the great organization (AKRS) Which provides you such a golden chances in your career development.
We are very thankful to the leaders in AKDN in Northern Pakistan and to AKRSP particularly, whose contribution for the female education is always major.
well done mussarat!
i dont know u personally but when i read above all the commemnts of
different people frome differnt areas i came to know that u r really doing a great job.we r proud of u.inshallah the people of northern will get benifite from u.best of luck.
Basharat Ali
KIU Gilgit N.A Pakistan
wonderfull initiative
Aslam.pervaiz@akesp.org
Well Done! We pray for your success at your apex career.
Ehsan Roomi
Manager Operations’
BankIslami Gilgit
ali.ehsan@bankislami.com.pk