Inshallah

On 8 October 2005 the lives of people in Noon Bagla and the surrounding villages, along with millions elsewhere in the region, were shattered when the earth rose up destroying families, communities, homes, shops, schools......Many lost everything they owned. But they never never lost their faith, never lost their pride.

And when we talked to them about bringing help to their village they pleaded with us not to turn them into beggars.

‘We don’t want to be supported’ they told us ‘we want your guidance and your leadership but we want to be able to do things for ourselves’.

Unlike those of us from the 'developed world'  the villagers have very few material possessions but they do have simplicity, gratitude and dignity – so who is the richer?

Muhammad Akbar, a man in his seventies, epitomises these qualities. Here is a record of a conversation he had with Waheed Gilani, the KECF Co-ordinator and Health Centre Project Manager:-

‘Muhammad Akbar Saab I have noticed that you come to the site (of the new Health Centre) every day, why are you so interested?’ 

‘I am a setting sun. I am here today and maybe won’t be here tomorrow. But I am very happy that our coming generations will have a better life. Look how many people died unaided in the earthquake. Who expected that an agony like that would haunt all of us? Think that if there was a hospital or a doctor here, how many people would have been saved who died due to lack of medical help? Count how many children die in transit from here to Muzaffarabad? I don’t know whether I shall see this hospital or not but I am sure that the fate of our people is going to change'

Nobody gave any heed to this beautiful village. Instead many people have destroyed the natural beauty of our land by chopping and cutting the trees from our forest. What we had is gone now. It was beyond my imagination that people from England would come here to Noon Bagla to help us. I have seen all the people who visited here. Why are they coming this far? I come here to see these people who are working for humanity. They are sharing our pain. They travel for days to come here and console us though they have no blood relations with us. Yet they want to do so much. I believe that a lot of lives will be protected now and all of us will die more comfortably’

A lot of people including you may think that I have nothing to do at home therefore I come here to kill my time. That is not true. I have no stamina to follow the people all around the village. But I walk with them to the school or anywhere they go. Just to watch them because they are great people. And you too, because you are also busy in helping the people who are changing the destiny of our village. I know you have not done anything for yourself or your family as yet. God will help you son. I am proud that you belong to our village’

Pray for all of those who are struggling to help us change our lives' said Waheed 'God willing one day Noon Bagla will be an example for the people of the region’.

‘Shall I see that day, son?’

 

‘Inshallah’ 

Muhammad Akbar closed his eyes and raised his hands in prayer.