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 May 25 2002 - Developments
In Literacy or DIL for short is a group that continues to live up to its
name (DIL in our language also means “Heart”) as it attempts to do something
for the education of underprivileged children in Pakistan and strives to
generate hope via literacy in several communities in our country of origin.
And on Friday May 17, 2002 the San Francisco Chapter of DIL held a
fundraising dinner and entertainment evening at the Chandni Restaurant in
Newark, California gathering together over 500 of the concerned, the high
profile, and the affluent: People who want to make a difference in the lives
of others, especially for a cause that we can all agree upon. That being;
The children of the poor in Pakistan need an education and hope in their
lives and that the problem of illiteracy which is widespread in that country
is especially acute amongst girl children (needing even more attention).
It was an absolute joy to walk into the Chandni (“Moonlight”) Restaurant
and to see the décor that the ladies of the DIL Organization had so
painstakingly put together leaving out very little in terms of detail, taste
and color, right from the reception desk to the well arranged table settings
and the fabric covered posts/pillars. The stage set in the Pakistani-Arabian
Nights motif, blended well with just about everything else (one just knew
from the onset that this was going to be quite a gathering).
So right off the bat, Sara Abbasi, Asma Sheikh, Lubna Sheikh, Saira
Siddiqi and Ghazala Khan that currently represent the DIL San Francisco
Board deserve kudos for their vigorous attention to the finer points of
putting together this event. And everyone that helped them and not named has
to be included here.
The evening started off with a two hour buffet dinner session during which
the “Who’s Who” of the Bay Area Pakistani community slowly made their way
in till the “Sold Out” sign was finally placed outside to indicate that the
maximum number of tickets had been sold. During this time much socializing
went on as we all finally settled down after a good meal to witness the
beginning of the formal the program, starting with a recitation from the
Holy Qur’an by Tehreem Fatani.
 Emcee for the
evening Malika Junaid wasted no time with the introductions to the
entertainment (featuring Asif Ali Khan & Qawwals) plus “what this evening is
all about” and called on DIL’s San Francisco Chapter President Sara Abbasi
on to the stage. Sara said, “ It is my privilege to welcome you to the
second fundraiser for DIL San Francisco. I would like to thank each and
every one of you for your generosity and support to the worthy cause pursued
by DIL.” Sara articulated well the aims and objectives of DIL, which she
said was started by Pakistani-Americans in 1997 in Los Angeles and that
today, DIL’s vision and ambition (to make a difference) is shared by
additional Chapters in San Francisco, New York, Washington, Chicago, Houston
and Singapore. “Pakistan’s literacy rate is one of the lowest in the world”,
she said. Giving the abysmal percentages of literacy applicable, especially
in rural areas of Pakistan she said, “in less than five years DIL has
already changed the lives of over 8000 children”. Giving more details she
added, “this is only the beginning”. She went on to say that “simply put,
DIL is opening up new possibilities in the least developed areas of
Pakistan.”
To let us see how DIL is operating in Pakistan a very moving video/film
presentation was shown. And what really hit the viewer most was the
determination in the kids, especially girls from very poor areas to want an
education, to be able to read and write. DIL is currently operating in
Orangi (outside Karachi), Khairpur (Sindh), Dir (NWFP) and Mianwali
(Punjab). There is also the hope that a new project in Baluchistan will be
in full operation soon. Currently 200 schools are being operated by DIL with
over 8000 children enrolled. What DIL is trying to do is change despair to
hope and to bring a confident smile to the faces of young children and wipe
away their tears that the embarrassment of illiteracy brings to their
lives.
After the visual presentation, Sara Abbasi continued, “for every $200 you
pledge you will pay for the education of five children for a year. For a
thousand dollars you can sponsor a school for an entire year”, she said.
Sara also went on to introduce mementos that each woman in attendance at
this fundraiser received. Handmade fans made by rural artisans from the
province of Baluchistan (locally known as Pakhis, Pankhis or Pankhas
depending on the language you choose to use) these beautiful souvenirs
prepared by the Baluchistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) in collaboration
with the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) added a very nice touch to
this fundraiser (my wife already has one is beautiful fan already adorning
our living room). Sara also took the opportunity to introduce and thank each
member of the DIL San Francisco Board and also extended her thanks to Mr.
Jalil Khan of United Airlines for making the difficult journey of the
musical performers possible (will elaborate later). DIL also wishes to
thank Rana Nadeem Ahmed for his continued support, the Chandni Restaurant
for taking such good care of their guests and Ms. Raana Faiz who dedicated
one full Radio Program to promote this DIL event and its entertainers.
Now to the entertainment segment and the fundraising activity. Qawwali (a
South Asian form of Gospel) has its roots in Sufi Islam. It is a
musical-vocal vehicle often used to praise God and the Prophet (peace be
upon him) via the repetition of words of poetry sung in their praise known
as “Humd” or “Naat”. The most famous singer of Qawwali to date at least in
the western world and in Pakistan was the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. At
this event we were lucky to have his protégé Asif Ali Khan and his Qawwals
(supporting group). And this group was simply amazing. Starting off with
“Allah Hu” they journeyed through our memories of the late Nusrat Sahib with
many of the Qawwalis that he had made famous (and more). All I can say here
is that if you like Qawwali, you must listen to Asif Ali Khan.
Qawwali is all about spreading the love of God and his Prophet through
music. One just has to sit down and listen to these wonderful singers and
musicians to experience this joy. It is a shame that the hatred of a few
responsible for the terror attacks in New York and Washington on 9/11 last
year has impacted the travel plans of this group of musicians to the point
that these 11 Pakistanis on their mission of love, traveling from Washington
to Los Angeles were kicked off three separate flights in two days due to
“security concerns”. For this the perpetrators of 9/11 are to blame, not
the people of the Middle East, Pakistan etc
 This DIL
fundraiser ended up raising $84,000 to promote education for some of the
poor in Pakistan. It was overall an amazing evening of positive work
spearheaded by a group of determined women who were willing to put in an
effort to try and make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate in
our country of origin. For that, our thanks are in order to them and the
Boards of all the DIL Organizations around this country that have recently
held fundraising events. Please visit the DIL website http://www.4dil.org/
for information about this group and contact them if you wish to participate
in this noble cause.
In conclusion one has to say what a pleasure it is to cover such well
organized and executed events. Let us hope that this caravan of hope called
DIL finds much wider support amongst the Pakistani Community worldwide. It
sure has made quite an impact in our area. And it is no coincidence that DIL
has chosen the entertainment vehicle of Qawwali to attract people to its
fundraisers. Is it because both this unique art form and the pursuit of
education by DIL require a similar mindset? Both require much affection and
are a labor of love. And above all they require a lot of heart. Like the
continuing story of this group called DIL. |
