By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: “The gruesome incident of a medical student in Chitral shooting himself dead after losing mental balance due to his withdrawal from the college due to the financial incapacity invoked me sharply to rush to the rescue of such students and prevent them from committing suicide”, says Hedayatullah who has helped hundreds of needy talented students from Chitral in their pursuit of higher education.
The chairman of Regional Organization for Supporting Education (ROSE), Hedayatullah while talking to the local media persons said that mired in poverty, the people of Chitral hardly made both ends meet and only the few had the capacity to support their children for higher education whom the God had bestowed talent lavishly.
He said that during the last decade, the growing number of youth committing suicide after suffering from depression was a problem that baffled the civil society as the reason behind all of these was common and it was found that either they were withdrawn from the professional colleges or they were not able even for admission on financial grounds.
“Over the years, private sector schools were opened almost in every village while the public sector schools also improved from where talents students emerged in large number and took admissions in the local colleges where they passed the intermediate examination with high marks.
They furthered performed well in the entrance tests of professional colleges but were unable to materialize their dream of becoming doctor or engineer and this was the beginning of the problem”, he said adding that I took it my mission to help such students and approached the affluent people with the appeal.
“The appeal got a pleasant and encouraging response from them and financial assistance was provided to dozens of students who had passed the entrance tests of professional colleges and universities but they were financially not sound enough to take admission.
The need of an organization was felt to streamline the process and ROSE was established five years ago which has now become a synonym for solace and support for poor but talented students from Chitral”, he said.
Mr. Hedayatullah said that the half of the beneficiaries of the scholarships and financial support of the organization were girls which pleased him who had been marginalized and depressed.
He said that apart from supporting the students in the professional colleges and universities, the students pursuing studies in different subjects both in the private and public sector universities were also provided financial support.
He added that many of the prominent private sector universities across the country have reserved seats for different programs including M.A., M.Sc., M.Ed, M.B.A., M.Phil and Ph.D apart from software engineering.
“The only demand we make from our beneficiaries is that we made them to pledge for supporting one indigent student (after being employed) by bearing his or her expenses for higher education so that like a chain reaction process could be started to help the talented students”, he said.
Mr. Hedayatullah said that the number of students suffering from depression syndrome has almost dropped to naught over the years and it is a matter of joy and contentment of heart for him.
