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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
As students, we hold great power and with this power, comes great responsibility. Like many other passionate teenagers today, a few students from Beaconhouse Lahore also wished to bring a positive change around them. Maarij Hassan and Sameen Mehdi, both avid readers, took steps to initiate Tabeer, a community service project that aimed mainly to promote the culture of reading.
As their first project, Tabeer’s core team decided to set up a small library at a local all-girls orphanage in Lahore called Al-Shafiq Foundation. Currently, the orphanage provides shelter to around 60 girls. Even though most of them attended a school located nearby, they obviously lacked necessary resources to enjoy activities like pleasure reading.
As Charles William once said, books are not just the most constant friends but also the most accessible and wisest of counselors- something these girls are in a dire need of. Keeping this in mind, Tabeer’s team did everything it possibly could to let their imagination flow. With the help of around 20 volunteers from two Beaconhouse campuses (ALJT and BCCG), team Tabeer managed to collect over 500 books and a hefty sum of cash donations within a month. CYTE Foundation also made a generous donation to help these youngsters achieve their goal.
The books were then divided into different categories based on genres and age groups. Almost half of the collected books were donated to Al-Shafiq while the rest were kept for an upcoming similar project.
From arranging books to bookshelves and from appropriate decorations to dealing with Al-Shafiq’s management, these young volunteers managed to do it all on their own. Apart from setting up the library, Tabeer’s female volunteers also visited the orphanage earlier to interact and indulge in playful activities with the girls living over there. Through face painting and a poster making activity, the volunteers tried to create a light-hearted environment at the orphanage.
Your generosity can help turn several dreams into realities.
