Fakhar Khan: The True Volunteers

It's always interesting to sit down and enjoy the events organized by others. Most of us love to enjoy effortless gatherings, parties, festivals, events and celebrations. We feel comfortable, if we found everything ready without visualizing the efforts behind those gatherings. Most of the time we just acclaim the efforts and took our way. This is how we think the life is beautiful and amazing, less work and dull enjoyment.

Let's explore the other side of the story. How If we put our energies in making our society more comfortable place to live. How if we share smiles on the faces of all those who are living with us. How if someone feels happy because of our small feats and exertions. This is what we can call volunteering. This is how one can spreed happiness and joys to his/her fellows. This is how one can feel gratified of him/her self. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity and is intended to promote goodness or improve human quality of life. In return, this activity can produce a feeling of self-worth and respect. There is no financial gain involved for the individual and good volunteer can not event think about it.

Although I was a part of volunteering activities at my college and University, however, It was in Korea when I have come to know the worth of volunteering work. Somewhere it is compulsory for all the students to have experience of volunteering. Some students do it to satisfy their souls while some others do it to earn credit hours of their studies, knowing their worth in the near future. In many schools, colleges and universities of Pakistan it is not a compulsory job and is done very rarely by some groups of students. Most of the time they pay from their own pocket money for volunteering. In Korea I saw people spending their time and money to do volunteer work with such an enthusiasm that sometime you need to wait for your turn to volunteer. This is always very surprising and appealing for me. Many times I, though whether it would be possible ever for Pakistani community to have such volunteering efforts to spread love and humanity.

Yes, many people are born with such capabilities to help others, to volunteer and spread happiness, however, some people develop this habit by watching and observing others. Hanyang University (ERICA Campus) South Korea is known as a mini Pakistan in Korea. Besides, many good, bad and debatable things, the one I like the most is the unity of scholars towards common goals and interests. No matter if it's a stuff related to academics or sports events or celebrations of national and religious events, the scholars at Hanyang collectively strive for it, supporting and assisting each other.

Hanyang University life is beautified by many such gatherings volunteered by some amazingly nice fellows. I shall write their names to acknowledge their efforts. Above all I would name Hassan Hafeez for his tireless job as a representative scholar followed by Muhammad Yousaf who always lead the community in a positive way. Similarly, on each such eve, you can see smiling Omer Salman, Ali Ansari, Arbab Ahamd, Abdusami and Junaid Imtiaz volunteering at Hanyang University. You can also see Abid Yousaf, Dawood Idrees and Abid Imran having a big spoon in their hands, making Karachi, Pulao and Biryani. This is what inspired me a lot, not only because they are doing great things, but also because this kind of environment is obsolete from our society back to our country. You can see, Muhammad Ajaml, Alam Zeb and Yawar Rehman while wearing an apron and doing the cleaning, if you visit ERICA campus of Hanyang University. You can also see Imran Hassan Naqvi, Saqib Ali Khan, Saqib Bhatti and Mian Ishfaq with their cameras in hand capturing the events. Many new emerging volunteers who are ready to take the responsibilities of volunteer activities, are but, not limited to Wajid Saleem, Asif Malik, Jawad, Omer Mustapha, Asad and Waqas.

Hanyang university is believed to be a place where foreigner specially Pakistani scholars have all the facilities one can even imagine abroad. We have 03 masjid to offer our religious activities. We have a big kitchen to make the foods of our choice. We have big playgrounds to play cricket, football and other games on our choice. Students from other universities praise our life style and wished to have a life like the scholars of Hanyang university. The worth of such a wonderful life abroad is even more when we celebrate Pakistan national days, religious days, sports days and other important events all together in once place. This all is only possible because of all efforts made by the volunteers at Hanyang university. Thanks to all the volunteers who spare their times for bringing smiles on the faces of all those who are facing terrible things (PhD :) ) daily, one way or the other way. Sometimes I think what would happen if we don’t have such people among us, life would be such a dull and boring. The already hard life in Korea would be much harder.