Self reliance

At the time of freedom from the British, my village Guff was a remote area with no road access, electricity or access through public transport. Those were the days when people in villages did not wait for help to arrive from the state. They worked together on everything, from sowing the crops to harvesting to building houses of mud. The entire village would care for the elderly and the sick. By this cooperation, we managed to move on even without basic amenities.

This spirit of unity, hard work and resilience was common across the country, especially in rural areas. Nowadays people are more self-centered and expect the government to do everything. I wish we could have a fraction of the spirit our elders had to work hard and solve problems independently, rather than constantly bickering and expecting everything to be done for us.

Raja Shafaatullah

Islamabad