Illiteracy is a disease that can be cured”: Light in the darkness

Hailing from the Dadu district, rural areas of Sindh, Aamir Hasnain is part of a small group of boarding students who not only attend classes at the school by day, but also live on the premises. Aamir arrived at Korangi Academy with a very basic understanding of English -- three years later, his vocabulary has improved significantly, and he speaks with eloquence and confidence. His home and family, he says, are his sources of strength. They represent a key focus of his determination to succeed in his studies and give back to his community. “Halaat ke baray mein kuch to karna hai!” he exclaims. (“I must do something about their circumstances!”).

Aamir credits his burgeoning confidence to the skills he has developed during his studies: “When we completed our projects [for AKU-EB’s Middle School Programme], we had to present them in front of other classes and deal with their questions. We had no choice but to become better communicators and learn to take responsibility for our entire group.” He is also adamant that he does not restrict what he has learned to the classroom: The habits that he has developed have also come to serve him during his everyday life and changed his outlook. “Illiteracy is a disease,” he says. “It can be cured. Education has taught me ethics and morals. If I received a top grade during my exams but had no ethical sense and positive character, then nothing else matters. Insaaniyat ki zaroorat hai! (There is a need for humanity!) Education without humanity is like a body without a soul.” Aamir already knows the path he will travel in the future: “I want to obtain the highest percentage in all of my subjects that this school has seen yet. After completing my higher education, I want to join the army and one day become a Lieutenant-Colonel.” Given his accomplishments thus far, there is little doubt he will succeed in this goal if he approaches it with the same fire that has brought him this far.