When Khyber Medical University in Peshawar announced the closure of its campus and dorms due to the coronavirus outbreak, I packed my bags to return home. I said goodbye to my friends and teachers and walked across the road to catch a bus that would take me home to my village — Shaidu.
Shaidu is a small settlement 80 kms away from Hayatabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The bus drove through mostly narrow roads for almost three hours before pulling up outside my neighbourhood. As I walked through the dusty streets, I greeted my uncles and other men sitting idle on the sidewalks. They appeared bewildered by the situation that had suddenly put them out of work. People who were accustomed to hard labour to earn their daily livelihood were now battling stress and hunger.
It was during this time that I learned about TCF’s COVID-19 Response Appeal, through an SMS sent to thousands of its alumni and staff members calling for their support. I immediately responded, and identified my village as a community that was struggling to survive. Within a day, under the guidance of the COVID-Response team at the organisation’s Head Office, I along with a friend set out to do a survey. We identified the most deserving families in my village, and shortlisted 100 households that needed immediate relief. We quickly relayed this information to the Head office, where arrangement to provide immediate cash transfers were made.
I am blessed to be a part of an institution — a movement in fact — that doesn’t just care about educating the children of Pakistan but is also concerned about the wellbeing of its communities.
Thank you,
Muhammad Shayan TCF Alumnus (2017) Student of BSc – Renal Dialysis Technology, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar
