Our Stories

In Afghanistan, everyone has a story to tell – stories about the country’s people, their hopes for the future, of peace and development – yet most go untold. But when a Harvard student working at Roshan decided to launch a Dear World campaign, she gave new voice to the people of Afghanistan and to the many stories they have been waiting to tell.

Described as grassroots because they are led by concerned citizens rather than governments or established institutions, such community action initiatives can be a powerful means in addressing difficult issues. Some Ismailis are successfully using grassroots action to magnify the impact of their volunteer work.

Service to humanity is at once an ethic deeply rooted in the Islamic tradition, as well as a fundamental expression of American civic values. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the September 11th tragedy in partnership with their fellow Americans, Ismaili Muslims across the United States will volunteer in a wide range of service activities in their local communities.

In this first installment of a two-part story, broadcast journalist Faridoun Hemani describes his experience as part of a team that visited areas stricken by the 2010 Pakistan floods to document the impact of the AKDN Early Relief and Recovery Programme. The team travelled to Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, where they listened to local people recount life-changing stories.

For nearly 16 years, Shamim Hassan Shivji placed close to 100 Karachi orphans with couples from around the world. She and a neighbour routinely cared for the orphaned or abandoned infants while seeking out loving homes for them. She never charged for the service – her reward was seeing kids she placed grow up to become well-educated members of society.