On 17th July 2020, during the prime minister’s visit to Panjar, Kahuta for tree plantation drive, prime minister Imran Khan praised Brigadier (R) Javed Ahmed Satti for his contribution towards education and environment protection.
Brigadier (R) Javed Ahmed Satti received The Pride of Performance Award, on 23 March 2018.
Brigadier Satti was born in a hilly village of Kahuta hills in Rawalpindi district, who came from a very modest background. He was assisted in his education by Lt. Commander Muhammad Azeem Satti, his cousin and an officer from Pakistan Navy, which enabled him to secure commission in the Army. He was a brilliant officer who, besides being talented, extremely motivated, such was the tenor with which he served till his retirement as a Brigadier. He was convinced that access to education made the difference to his life, he decided to repay the debt.
After his retirement, Brig Javed Satti established Al-Azeem Trust with the aim of imparting quality education to deprived children of backward areas so as to enable them to realise their talent, both for livelihood generation and for being socially responsible.
Brigadier Javed Satti, along with his wife, started the first school of Al-Azeem Trust in their village, Behand, Tehsil Kahuta, District Rawalpindi, in April 2002. The Programme aims at grooming talented children up to the time they are able to generate their livelihoods, whether it involves supporting their higher professional studies or exposing them to vocational training. The Children of parents who cannot afford the tuition fees are admitted. Yet, an excellent quality of education is maintained, for which teachers are trained. They display exceptional commitment, are well paid and the academic standards are strictly monitored.
The Al-Azeem School System is dedicated to quality education and brick and mortar figures out as the lesser priority. Education in the English medium is provided at the door steps and beneficiaries pay for the tuition consistent with their capacities. The marginalised access free education.
As part of its social responsibility, Al-Azeem School System has over the years concertedly contributed in restoring the local forests. These efforts range from community based awareness raising, provision of watch and ward services and re-plantation of trees during monsoons. There is evidence of the pine and tree cover gradually reviving in the region and near denial of space for the timber mafias. An effective communities’ driven model is created which may be studied for wider replication. Environmental awareness can be gauged by the fact that even the local streams are cleaner from our standards.
Volunteerism more than anything else reflects social mobility in a society and fosters a sentiment of self-reliance. It is evident from the wider communities’ support for the Al-Azeem School System which includes activities like maintaining the road access to the schools, providing watch and ward functions and diverse services. The School System is being aptly supported by so many voluntary contributions.
Much stress is laid on character building or ‘Tarbiyat’ and in developing leadership traits, while recognising that solid character base must underpin educational pursuits. Moreover, national leadership must have a fair share from deprived regions for introducing equity in nation building.
An unswerving commitment to the future of the younger generation through quality education has welded together a sustainable bond between the beneficiary communities and the Al-Azeem School System. A situation where everyone stands to gain.
The Azeem Public School System has set high standards for teachers and students. Competent teachers are hired and are paid competitive salaries. Students are exposed to challenging curricula that provides a strong foundation of math and science, and instills confidence in them.
Over the past decade, the dedicated educational service provided by the Al-Azeem Trust has raised the standard of primary education in the villages surrounding Kahuta. In future, Al-Azeem Trust plans to build institutions of higher learning to help their students pursue college education after they complete their secondary and higher secondary education.
The Al-Azeem School System is an outcome of labour of love of a son of the soil who rose in his professional pursuits and chose to pay back.
The model of Azeem Public School System needs to be emulated all over Pakistan to create level playing fields for the poor children. Kudos to Azeem Public School System for illuminating the lives of the poor children with the flames of educational discovery and curiosity.
No comments:
Post a Comment