Lighting Wicks of Knowledge
By Gaurav Singh
A man makes the most of the limited means at his disposal. He travels halfway across the world and, with the Grace of God, is blessed with much success. For many the story may stop here, but not for Dr. Maqbool Ahmad, a Trustee of the Human Development Foundation (HDF). Dr. Ahmad’s own struggles and life experiences inspired in him the urge to help others on their journey to a successful life.
Dr. Maqbool Ahmad hails from Toba Tek Singh in Panjab. Toba means “a small pond” in Panjabi. The town was named after a Sikh saint Tek Singh, a pious man who lived to serve others. In particular, he would provide shelter to travelers, and also serve them with food and water from a small pond (Toba) that he maintained. While residents of most towns changed their name after partition, the residents of this area chose to retain the name of Tek Singh as a show of respect for a life of service. It should perhaps not be such a surprise when Dr. Maqbool Ahmad, himself a product of village 250GB in Toba Tek Singh and enriched by the legacy, would himself become an example of service to humanity.
In January of 2008, HDF started its Scholarship program with help and funding from Dr. Maqbool Ahmad. Students from three schools are sponsored by this project. These include a girls’ school and a school each for junior and senior boys. In all, 107 students are beneficiaries of scholarships in the form of both cash and materials, such as, uniforms, schools bags, and computers. The scholarships, themselves, are based upon merit and need. At this time, need-based scholarships exceed merit-based scholarships by a ratio of roughly 2 to 1.
2009 is the second consecutive year children have received scholarships. By this time students
of the three schools have developed a healthy sense of competition amongst themselves to earn merit-based scholarships. This development is indicative of a value for education and excellence among the children. These children are striving for success in life.
But what is the true measure of success, is it wealth or education from the best institutions in the world? No doubt both education and wealth contribute to a successful life. But our personal success is linked with the opportunities of success we facilitate for our fellow humans. We cannot truly be successful, if those around us lack basic ingredients to their own success.
HDF is committed to Transforming Lives. Dr. Maqbool Ahmad, and other HDF supporters ensure their own success in life by investing in the success of hundreds of children. Service of others – what a wonderful way to live a successful life!
What is the ingredient to your success? Help us transform lives by contributing to the success of others.