We undertake this heartfelt venture as a labor of love for the country that is our ancestral home – the beautiful, scenic nation of Pakistan. Forbes calls it one of the 10 best places to see in 2019 – an accolade which makes us proud. Too often we forget our roots and heritage and turn our focus to the present and future, but we must respect the foundation upon which our lives now exist – and so we pay homage to our homeland through this sincere endeavor. We have chosen the season of autumn to perform this journey because of the spiritual meaning it carries of ripeness, change, and beauty. Fall symbolizes balance of the seasons with the equinox – daylight and darkness are equal. Just as trees do not cling to their leaves and instead let them “fall”, we too release the old to make way for the new in preparation for the year to come. We begin in Kalash known for its vibrant, primitive culture, moving on to Chitral, then travelling through majestic, breathtaking valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan to what British Backpacker Society calls the most beautiful natural sight on earth, the Hunza Valley. Education is dear to our hearts, and so we give back to the beautiful children of northern Pakistan through donation of school supplies. We are working through IMAN and CDRS to deliver these items to the students most in need. We plan to continue this charitable activity as we embark upon these experiences in various places around the world. This collection of photographs is meant to capture the true essence of the people, to evoke a previously untouched emotion and stir your senses. Listen carefully to the tales with an open heart and mind – empathy & compassion will surely follow. An individual whisper is often drowned out by voices greater than the one, but as we combine the experiences of the natives of this land, we hope to convey a bold, unified voice filled with love, faith, hope and kindness. Our genuine desire is to increase awareness of the heavenly place that is northern Pakistan and the beautiful indigenous people of the country through the powerful act of storytelling…. Come Along as We All Fall for Pakistan – Gilgit Baltistan!!
Shah Hussain is a tour guide we met as we came into Kalash, a small town which is en route to center Chitral in the northwestern area of Pakistan. He runs the Kalash Continental Guest House in which we stayed during our time in this part of the valley. He offered to give us a tour of the village because he cares very much about his guests and always treats them like family. He was very kind and hospitable and could speak English very well, so we took this opportunity to learn more about him and the town. Shah was born and raised in Kalash but went to Karachi in 1995 to study. During this time, he returned to the valley for a month during which there was a death in the family - consequently he could not return to Karachi to complete his education. This was a blessing in disguise because he was truly happy to be back in the valley with his relatives and his people. He knew little English then, but began working as a tour guide to share what he knew of his culture with the visitors that came to his town to see the vibrant and primitive culture and learn about the history of the unique Kalash people. After 9/11, tourism was impacted significantly as it was across Pakistan, but has stabilized now that the current government has offered more protections and security and is promoting foreign tourism especially. Shah has been in this profession now for 18 years, since 2001. When asked what his best memories have been, he says he has fond memories of guiding American groups for weeks at a time – taking them around the various areas of Chitral. He does not see this as work – he truly feels a passion for sharing all he knows about his own culture with others from abroad.
As we approached the town, we were off road on a dirt path for an hour – it was a very bumpy ride high up on the side of the mountains, you could see the river winding like a snake far below. Only one car could fit – if we found ourselves face to face with another vehicle, the driver had to reverse and find a spot to tuck the car into on the side of the road while we allowed the other to pass. It had been a long trip, but as we entered the town, I immediately sprang up at the sight of the vibrant hues of female dresses, as I had seen in magazines and on the internet many times before. It was as if the photos from the magazines had come to life and were jumping off the pages into real life! The scene was surreal – not many cultures wore traditional dress as part of their daily routines, but the Kalash women did and I found this to be truly fascinating and felt very much as if I belonged here with these loving people.
“I welcome you. Kalash is a beautiful people – you [have] never see a culture like this. We are only 4k people left. We love people from outside our country and our culture to come and visit us.”
Kalash, Pakistan 13OCT19
Naheed is a fashion designer originally from Hunza who is working on her final project using the beautiful traditional dress of the people of Kalash as her theme and combining it with a modern feel. White is her base color for the photoshoot, but she has added the bright and colorful hues that the Kalash people are known for as elegant touches to her simple yet lovely designs. Her viewpoint is that the colors represent the happiness and joyful life of the people of the region. In addition, including metal and embroidery is something that is typically Kalash and she wanted to honor this tradition, so she added metal shapes within the dress and within the headgear to maintain that Kalashi feel to the style she was capturing.
As we were working on the photoshoot, three young girls stood in the doorway and watched eagerly with curiosity and interest. This was most appealing to me as a photographer, as it touched on the reality of the culture and allowed me to connect this staged experience of modeling with the actual local faces of the youth. It is as if we are looking in a mirror and the children are from a past time – looking into the future at themselves, where they are adults, dressed in fine clothing, garnering attention from those from the outside. Fascinating juxtaposition of the two groups of subjects in this photo.
Kalash, Pakistan 13OCT19
The incomparable children of Kalash were very much the highlight of our visit to this amazing place. They were initially shy in meeting us, and generally do not allow photographers to take photos because they often feel harassed. However, our fortune was good because once they discovered we were originally from Hunza, they felt comfortable since many of the tour guides that bring visitors to Kalash were also from Hunza. Once they saw us taking photos from the modeling photoshoot, they also wanted to be the focus of our cameras and share their happiness and hope with us. We felt an innocence and sincerity about the children that was untapped and untouched – their angelic expressions staring into our lenses and making us even more eager to take an abundance of photos while we had the chance to interact with these surreal subjects. It was almost an imaginary feeling as the people that we had always heard about or read about now were there with us, in the bright, lively colorful clothing that was so indicative of the people of Kalash. We were always so fascinated by this culture because it was so unique and rare, supposedly from the time of Alexander the Great. The culture has survived even though it had been threatened time and time again by extremists. Even now, only several thousand Kalash exist – and pressure is there to convert to Islam and join the mainstream religion of Pakistan to obtain an economic and social advantage.
Kalash, Pakistan 13OCT19
Akhtar Hussain is a striking young 17-year old living in Kalash with dreams of becoming a male model. A few years back, his father passed away and so he stopped pursuing his education and began working to help his family financially. He currently intends to move to Karachi once he has his identity card and become a security guard so that he can earn a better living and send money back to his family to help support them. He was actually playing cricket in the village when the designer’s team noticed him and approached him to model for them. He truly enjoyed the modeling experience during this photoshoot and expressed that he had always had a desire to try it. He was extremely excited and humbled to be part of the fashion modeling experience and to top it all off, he was paid for it which was icing on the cake.
As I was taking his photos during the shoot, I realized that he had the right looks for the camera, and so I decided to ask him about his interest in pursuing modeling even further. He went on to share this story with me, and so I wanted to share it with you all. Often in life we may desire one thing, but end up with something entirely different simply for reasons beyond our control – this is appearing to be one of those unfortunate situations. But, I truly hope he gets an opportunity to do what he loves, and is able to pursue his passion for modeling so that he can enjoy his career as well as help his family become financial stable.
“Welcome to the tourists – we welcome you here in Kalash.”
Kalash, Pakistan 13OCT19
Ariana and Amrina are two young singers residing in Kalash who were recently showcased on Coke Studio Explorer in 2018. They are both 17 years of age and best friends. When asked what their current daily routine consists of post Coke Studio, they shared that they attend school, come home, clean the house, wash dishes and cook - which is not always the most exciting way to spend time according to them, but they have to do it to help out around the home. Coke Studio Explorer approached their cousin because they were interested in recruiting female singers to represent the Kalash culture. Initially they recruited their mom and friends to complete the first recording since they were adults and recruiting the younger females did not seem suitable at the time. But once they recorded Pareekh, they became famous to the local Pakistanis and even abroad, and garnered much attention. Both shared that tourists are persistent at times, which is frustrating, especially if they do not want to take photos with strangers. They often feel that their culture is not respected by the visitors from within Pakistan – they are more overbearing than the foreign visitors who come to Kalash, perhaps because Coke Studio is more popular within the country than outside. Regardless, they have appreciated the attention and learned much about singing from Coke Studio – and are grateful for the opportunity that they had to showcase their talent to the world.
It was an enjoyable interaction with these two young ladies as they took time to meet with us and share their experience at Coke Studio with us as well. They were very sweet and open, just as we were excited to have the opportunity to speak with them and capture their photo.
“We are happy to meet people from outside of our country and share our culture with you.”
Kalash, Pakistan 14OCT19
Anwar Khan currently runs a lovely guest house in Booni, Chitral and is a jack of all trades as it would seem! He is an impressive and educated young man, with multiple degrees from reputable universities in Pakistan. His Anwar has been riding horses from childhood when his feet did not even reach the stirrups! He loves to play wild polo – the warrior’s game it is called, similar to regular polo but with slightly different rules. It is a game of ethics between the players – they should not strike one another while playing. He feels that the youth own the game in Chitral, and that is the reason for it being so popular. He is saddened that the sport has not picked up around the entire nation and even at an international level, but he is excited to see that even the young and old love to play in his town. Although the youth are an integral part of the sport in the region, the horse itself also needs to be trained how to play. When the season ends, the horse is taken into the stables and has limited activity for several months. As a result when the horse comes out at the beginning of the season, it is in a state of intoxication and wildness – it is considered an untamed horse at that time and cannot be managed by everyone, only those who know the horse can ride it. It is to be fed and also given water at certain times only. This investment in the horse yields a huge return for the polo players – Anwar states that 80% of the game is the horse, the rest is on the player. This game is a game driven by the horse, not the human. His wish is to someday play for the Pakistan national team and represent his country around the world. It saddens him that his fellow players do not like to share their techniques always – he is happy to teach and show others how he plays the game. He struggles with the fact that polo is known as a game for the wealthy man.
One of his other faces involves tourism. He runs the lovely and welcoming guest house at which we stayed during our time in Chitral. He has horses, dogs, and other animals at his place for guests to enjoy. This gentleman even practices homeopathic medicine on the animals since there is no veterinary hospital in the vicinity. Is there truly anything he has not tried or cannot do?? From a tourism perspective, he truly believes that Booni has the most amazing sunset view in the entire nation of Pakistan. He takes tourists on simple treks across the region, shows them scenic waterfalls and landscapes, including one of the highest peaks in the northern areas.
He also maintains various artifacts in something he has termed his own museum. He shows pride for his culture and way of life through this collection of items. Finally, this young man is also an eloquent poet. He is often inspired by wrongdoing such as the innocent killing of animals. In this instance, he wishes to bring awareness for the protection of wildlife. He feels that what he can bring awareness to, he will work hard to do so if it can make a difference. Anwar wants to bring attention to the plight of these animals and their useless killing through his writings. He is also inspired by famous poets. Although he has a passion for poetry, he does not see a future for himself in it until he is free of the responsibilities he has to his family. Once he is relaxed, he may be able to pursue poetry further.
Unfortunately, he feels sadness and frustration that there are limitations placed upon his various talents simply because they can only go as far as his community boundaries and not beyond. Perhaps if the outside world comes to visit Booni, he will be given an opportunity to showcase his multiple abilities and share them with the world. We want to share his amazing story with the world!
“We live in a beautiful, untouched place that we want you all to come and experience for yourself. We are a peace loving people and love everyone. We wish to welcome you and want nothing in return but for you to spend time here and appreciate the special place we call our home. We would love for you to visit us in all seasons throughout the year – our home has it’s own charm within each season that you can surely enjoy.”
Booni, Chitral, Pakistan. 15OCT19
This is an inspirational story of female empowerment! In 1990, Shah Puri and her husband migrated from another town in Chitral to Booni due to extreme poverty. Booni was known for providing a relatively decent quality of life to its inhabitants, and with two sons and two daughters, they decided it was best for their family to relocate. Both she and her spouse were uneducated and had suffered hardships and were looking to make a good life for their children. The lack of skills and limited job opportunities forced them to settle in Booni where they knew they would find some work to make a living. When they relocated, the local school appointed her husband as a watchman and janitor. They were given the opportunity to live near the reputable Pamir school as well, and so their children were provided a free education as a benefit to employment. During this time, Shah Puri took a position in the cafeteria as a cook. She enjoyed her work with the students and continued to efficiently run the cafeteria for 10-15 years. The school was very appreciative of her service as was the local community.
Shah Puri recently realized that she had a greater dream of starting her own business rather than working for others. She wanted to open her own café, serving tea, samosas, and pakoras – and she knew she could also cook for different events. This entrepreneurial spirit was a rare thing in the women of Chitral. Because they were educated and did not espouse extremely conservative values, her adult children strongly supported this vision their mother had, and so they presented the business case to the KP government in 2018. The KP government was so impressed that they actually awarded Bibi a grant to establish her very own female run business in Booni. The children decided to call it Nan Café. Nan means “mother” in the native language, and so they felt it most appropriate to name it after her given that it was her initiative and hard work that led them to this highpoint. Nan Café focuses on traditional dishes that are not available in the market, very different from regular Pakistani food. This café employs local women to make the foods and feeds both tourists and locals.
The café has developed a local brand in Booni and is reputable and well-liked. The family is always open to feedback from customers and they work to improve the business model as comments are received. Bibi takes her responsibility very seriously – she constantly performs quality assurance on all of the foods and wants to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction with her products. Due to overwhelming demand, they are planning to expand the business within Chitral. She and her daughter cook the food but they are looking for additional help as they expand their footprint and will train people if needed.
Shah Puri is happy & satisfied with all of the sacrifices she and her husband made early in their life to move to this place and settle the family here. All four children are highly educated, and she feels that this has awarded the family a certain level of respect in the community as a result. If given the choice to educate her sons or daughters, she would choose to educate her daughters. There is a well-known African proverb: “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a community.” Bibi has done her part in helping to educate her daughters and ultimately give back to her beloved community.
“Educate your daughters.”
Booni, Chitral, Pakistan. 15OCT19
Amir Aman is a young Wakhi man attending school in central Chitral. He is from Broghil, a very remote and unexplored valley in Chitral, cut off from civilization. It is a spectacular work of nature, located in the extreme north in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).The Broghil Valley is situated in a remote mountainous area of the Chitral district in K-P. It is a narrow valley, located around 250km away from the Chitral city. The valley borders Gilgit-Baltistan in its northeastern part and the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan along its northwestern part. Amir had an inner desire for something better for himself because he knew of the bigger world beyond his valley. He expressed to his parents his desire to go to central Chitral to study and obtain an education, and they supported him. He is currently at the government high school in Booni, Chitral. He has one brother and two sisters – his sister is currently also living in the dormitories in central Chitral attending school. He shared with us that he also led the way for 24 other students to come to central Chitral and study as a result of his initiative to leave Broghil to make a better life for himself and his family. The Agha Khan Foundation subsidizes half of his education and his parents pay the remaining amount. He was one of the many recipients of the school supply donation from IMAN and CDRS.
Amir heard us speaking in Wakhi as we were delivering the school supply donations and quietly whispered, “How are you?”. We were surprised to hear our native language in Chitral, and asked him if he was Wakhi, to which he responded ‘yes’. He obviously had the desire to communicate with us and took that first step to reach out and say something. We in turn took the opportunity to speak with him about his experience, and wanted to share his story. We hope that this forum allows him to communicate with the world – and that his future brings him much success and fulfillment of his dreams. He did not want to be complacent and live like others in Broghil but chose instead to pursue education and consequently a better life for himself and his siblings, as well as friends. If you’re always trying to be normal, you never know how amazing you can be. (MA)
“Education is important and integral to a civilized society.”
Booni, Chitral, Pakistan. 15OCT19.
Mohammed Akram is the Headmaster at the Government High School in Booni, Chitral, which we chose as our first location for the school supply donation. We approached him and explained our effort and subsequent donation and he was very appreciative and accepting of the gesture. He was gracious and took time to speak with us – a very kind and friendly gentleman. Mr. Akram is well respected and educated, and has been teaching for over 32 years. He was extremely happy about the charitable endeavor and kept thanking us for the gift. Mr. Akram was grateful to IMAN and CDRS and stated that it was all about sincere intentions, and so he was happy and willing to accept the donations for his students. As the Sufi poet Rumi said, ‘giving thanks for abundance is greater than the abundance itself’. We truly felt the sincere joy Mr. Akram expressed in receiving these donations for his remarkable students. He even accompanied us to class and took photos as he presented the backpacks filled with supplies to each of the students.
There were approximately 30-35 students in the class. The children were very respectful as we came into the classroom and stood up to say “Good Morning”. I did not realize that they were still standing well into our visit, and that I had to ask them to sit back down – it was a respectful gesture on their part to remain standing until I allowed them to take a seat. We had a very heartwarming and uplifting experience feeling their gratitude and love for us as we delivered the school supply donations. Their curiosity about our photography equipment was also very sweet – they would steal glances at us and then look away if we caught them staring. We were excited to capture and share these priceless moments especially with those who donated to this charitable cause through IMAN and CDRS. Many thanks for making this happen and for allowing us this unforgettable experience!
“Visitors will feel comfortable, happy and peaceful here – please come and visit us. To those who would consider teaching, if you are capable and wish to advance our society, please consider coming into the teaching profession. Thank you to IMAN for the supply donation for our children – we are truly grateful, and we too are strong proponents of female education here in Booni.”
Booni, Chitral, Pakistan. 15OCT19.
Booni is the headquarter of the Upper Chitral, situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Our experience with the people of Chitral was memorable, positive and heartwarming - a very simple and sincere group of people. The love they show you is unmatched and makes you feel as if you have always belonged. As a welcoming gesture, they invited us to the polo ground to throw out the opening ball – an honor traditionally saved for a chief guest. As I walked through the crowd and met the many attendees, one elderly man stood out to me – he had a flower on his hat. When I stopped next to him, he kindly removed the flower and presented it to me as a gift. I was very humbled by this gesture, but chose not to keep the flower and instead placed it back into the hat and told him that although I was grateful for his gift, I could not keep his beautiful flower. He honored me with this selfless and kind gesture.
Although they are somewhat sequestered from the rest of the country and the world, that does not stop them from expressing affection and welcoming outsiders to their native land to share their unique culture and customs. We have met many diamonds in the rough during our visit here – poets, polo players, students, teachers, entrepreneurs – beautiful people of character who have shared personal experiences and stories with us that we in turn pass on to you. We hope these stories speak to you and draw you to Chitral to meet these extraordinary individuals. We know we have gathered fond memories and connections in this place that we will never, ever forget. Our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all who accommodated us and made our visit so special! We will be back!
Chitral, Pakistan; 15OCT19.
Zakir is a local poet who is from upper Chitral and resides in Booni. He is well known in the region and writes in Khowar, the local language, to maintain the beauty of his mother tongue. Zakir feels strongly that there is an innate talent that one must have in order to be a good poet – it is not something one can learn. He sat with big name poets at first and shared his poetry, and although he thought they were teasing him when he shared his initial writing, he realized that they truly enjoyed his ghazals and so this was encouragement enough to continue. His audience expects ghazals from him, and so he focuses on that genre. Zakir feels strongly about preserving his culture and that the writing must be consistent with his cultural values. His inspiration comes when he is alone and relaxed and can think to himself – he cannot write on demand. Poetic thoughts just flow at certain times depending on the environment he is in. Lost love is the catalyst which started him to writing poetry and allowed him to express himself and heal. He acquired the pseudonym “Zakhmi”, or “Wounded” for his poetic work. He selected a name that he could connect with and that reflected his state of being and life experience. He published two books to-date and has plans to add to this collection. His advice to those youth wanting to write, take small steps and make an effort to respect your culture and your values. We must revere people like our parents upon which our lives were built – they were the foundation for us. In the age of social media, it is also much easier for someone to express themselves from the comfort of their own home rather than in a public setting which is a wonderful convenience.
We asked him if he needed intoxication to be inspired or in some way needed to escape reality to which he said no. As persistent as we were in trying to get him to share his secret, out of dignity and respect, he did not divulge the details behind the wound he suffered from one that drove him to sharing this poetry about lost love, but we could see that he had obviously suffered deeply and the emotions resulting from this state of mind were strong and reflected in his work. He was the epitome of respectfulness and adab.
“Our literature should reflect our language and culture. To our youth I say maintain your dignity and your values – never compromise. Choose your words wisely and be aware of how you say things. Stay consistent with your belief system. Be respectful of those who sacrificed before us to give us this life.”
Booni, Chitral, Pakistan. 15OCT19
Mohamed Iqbal khan lives in Chitral. He is a professor that teaches in the local private college. Mohamed studied Arabic and Islamic history at Peshawar University. In his mind, he has two professions – one is to teach students at the college, and the second more relevant and important work is bringing firewood to store for the winter to his parent’s home which is what we caught him doing today. He does not feel that it is appropriate to go to the college to work and have his parents do this strenuous activity on their own, so today, he took a day off to cut and collect wood and bring it home himself as a dutiful son. He was collecting wood on the road that he chopped on the mountain and carried down 30 minutes one way on his shoulders. It was very heavy and labor intensive work. He shared that later, a tractor is rented for 2,000 rupees per instance and is brought from about an hour’s distance from home to transport the wood. During this work, he often interacts with various locals and also with tourists. When we asked him about the season of autumn which is currently upon us, he shared that the ibex comes down from the mountain and grazes. The locals are not allowed to hunt the wild animals and do not like to do so, but people come from outside with licenses to hunt and these funds are collected by the localities. There are wildcats and bears that may threaten the farm animals such as goats and sheep and may even threaten the children of the area. The government’s guidance is to protect your children and your herds.
I saw him walking from afar with wood piled on his back, and decided to stop him and find out what he was doing. It was a curious sight and he was gracious enough to talk to us. He was so welcoming and kind - he wanted to ask us to his home as guests but we were at a great distance and could not go. We were very grateful and humbled by his intention nonetheless. It is these connections that we make as we journey through the north that warm our hearts and even make us think twice about returning to our normal, mundane lives we lead in the west. I know that when I return home, I will miss these people and their stories, but I am forever changed for the better as a result of knowing them.
“Do not be picky. As educated as one may be, we must be willing to take on the routine chores in life. Know how to take care of your homes, play sports, and do various things. Be an all-rounder.”
Chitral, Pakistan. 16OCT19
Mohamed Ali Azhar is a man working at a chai (tea) canteen making tea for visitors in Shandur, the highest polo ground on Earth. Shandur is an area between Chitral and Gilgit that is visited by many passersby. During the fall and winter seasons, it is very cold and can be dangerous to travel. Mohamed shared that it has snowed up to seven feet at times making the trek difficult. He is a dedicated man and walks to and from the canteen two hours each way. The hotel continues to run during the bitter winter season just so folks can have lodging. He transports various types of supplies on foot because he has no other means of doing so. People travel back and forth between Chitral and Gilgit and keep him busy - the residents of Shandur love to have tourists and welcome them with open arms.
When we asked him about autumn, he said that he loves the season. It brings the cold at night and sun in the day. As he serves the tea, he enjoys listening to music as he passes his day.
“I love this song by an army soldier, dear Muzaffar, who passed away. It brings me peace and happiness.”
Shandur, Chitral, Pakistan. 16OCT19
Ghizer District is the westernmost part of the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region of Pakistan and is a crossroads between Gilgit and Chitral via Shandur Pass. This photo was taken when we crossed over into the first village in GB coming from Chitral. It was an overwhelming moment for me and made me quite happy since I knew I was now getting closer to my hometown of Gulmit.
As I stood and stared at the picturesque reflection of this stunning landscape, I pondered the experience of the last ten days and pinched myself to make sure I was truly standing there in my homeland across the world, a different society and culture, a very different way of life. Recently, I have spoken to headmasters and school children, collaborated with various types of artists in the region, stopped to talk to the native peoples as they go about their daily routines, listened to striving entrepreneurs, delivered supplies to students across the northern areas of Pakistan – all to give voice to the people and lift them up. But now I realize that I have learned much about myself too – it has been life changing for me. I made connections with these beautiful, memorable individuals (now friends) that will last a lifetime – but I ask myself, why do I feel so emotionally connected to these people whom I just met?
Because their life experiences speak to me – I relate to what they say and share. These people are real and do not put up facades and staged pleasantries the way we often do in the western world – they share raw experiences and feelings with you. When they talk about poetry, depression, love, and sadness, I can relate. When they speak about educating and lifting up our children, I can relate. When they speak about striving for success in our professions, I can relate. When they speak about the beauty and peace that comes with being in our scenic and pure motherland, I can feel that within me as much as they do.
As different as we may now be, living in different parts of the world – me in the most powerful country in the world, they from small villages in a developing nation – we are more similar than we are unlike. It is the human experience that has touched me most of all, and I am truly humbled and grateful for this amazing ride. I hope that it does the same for you as we continue on this journey together and Fall for Pakistan!
Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. 17OCT19
As we crossed into Gilgit-Baltistan within the Ghizer region, we encountered these men in one of the fields and decided to capture this photo with the breathtaking, mountainous scenery in the backdrop. They were working hard on a tractor to transport dirt to a construction site.
Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan. 17OCT19
Hussain Wali is a landowner and farmer in Barsat, the first village en route from Chitral to Gilgit-Baltistan. He maintains the farmland and has a busy season from April through September. It is a lengthy, cumbersome process. He farms wheat and potatoes on his extensive amount of land. Generally speaking the people of the village of about 100 homes are happy, especially if the crop is good. If not, then it’s a problem and folks are sad since it impacts them in a negative way financially. He has two children, a son and daughter, who attend the local school. Tourists come and go during the pleasant weather, but during the cold winter seasons, outside visitors are few.
We stopped to speak to him and as is customary in the region, he welcomed us to his home for tea. The entire people of the northern area are so hospitable and kind – we have yet to encounter someone who has NOT invited us for chai tea!
“Happy to have tourists here – welcome you with love and we hope you will visit us!”
Barsat, Gilgit-Baltistan. 17OCT19.
Mr. Shah lives in Ishkoman and runs a general store that sells walnuts, apricots, almonds, and other produce of the region. He buys the fruit and nuts, cleans it thoroughly, then packages and sells it in Peshawar. He says there is a lot of potential to grow various types of crops and he is thankful for this blessing. He picks goods up from neighbors in the surrounding region to help out as a good Samaritan, and offers competitive rates as well. If the government could offer assistance by funding a local factory, they could package the goods for international distribution. Regardless, Mr. Shah is quite happy and satisfied at the work he does for himself and for the community.
“There is God’s graceful bounty here – we have everything! I truly believes that God-willing, Pakistan will become a successful nation one day soon!”
Ishkoman Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. 18OCT19
As part of the Fall for Pakistan awareness campaign, our Washington, DC based team members who are also part of the Interfaith Mom’s Action Network (IMAN) and NA Photography & Design (NAPD) worked together to identify a charitable means of giving back to the community by lifting up the precious babes of our motherland through promoting education. Increasing knowledge is a wonderful way to learn and overcome ignorance, and because education is near and dear to our heart, donating school supplies seemed like a fun & tangible way to help. We acquired the assistance of the team from the Comprehensive Disaster and Response Service (CDRS) who were gracious enough to provide assistance in identifying a wholesale supplier in Islamabad that could provide backpacks filled with school supplies for 300 students. The donors were family, friends and colleagues based in the United States. IMAN coordinated the collection of funds and worked through CDRS to purchase and pay for the school supplies. NAPD then collected the items from a wholesaler in Islamabad and delivered them across the northern areas, from Kalash to Chitral to Gilgit, Baltistan and captured the uplifting moments in the photos we are sharing here!
It was so gratifying and heartwarming to see the faces of young students light up when they received the gifts – an incomparable feeling! We hope that you are as motivated and full of joy as our hearts were to continue to give to these children – the smiles and love you feel is well worth the entire effort. It is quite difficult to articulate our emotions but we are truly grateful for the experience and for getting to know these treasured children. It is our promise that we will keep trying to do good and give back so that these delightful and diligent children can be educated and make a difference in their respective communities, and collectively as a nation and society!
“Our hope is to continue to do this type of work as we engage with the various communities in nations around the world – it is our life’s passion to give back to our children and ensure that they have a bright and hopeful future ahead.”
This family was affected in July of 2018 by the enormous floods caused by the melting glaciers of the region. As a result of the flooding, an artificial lake was created in Batsuwat submerging 40 homes and crops in the region.
I stopped because I was taken by the living conditions of this family. The makeshift home was in response to the loss of the homes due to flooding. It was a surreal experience to know that people lived like this in present day. At face value, one would think a home like this would be centuries old, but sadly, it is how they live in Ishkoman after the disaster struck. The intensity with which they stare at the camera makes one wonder if the trauma they experienced still lives within them – and their eyes show their helplessness but also strength to overcome. Tough women and moms taking care of their children - what strength of character!
Batsuwat, Ishkoman Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, 19OCT19.
As we crossed into Gilgit-Baltistan within the Ghizer region, we saw a young boy and girl, maybe ten or eleven years of age, walking along the road. The boy was carrying wood on his back, presumably for his family to use as the autumn season brings much cooler weather to the region.
I stopped to take a photo given the sight of the two children against the scenic backdrop of the majestic mountains and the water running alongside the unfinished road. As gratitude for the inconvenience of stopping their trek home to take a photo, I offered them sustenance.
Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan. 18OCT19
Asma is a sweet young girl living in Khudabad, Gojal, Hunza and is a true role model for children everywhere. We highlighted her story in our 2015 photo collection “UNSPOKEN SUMMER” and told of the physical challenge she faced of blindness since birth. As captioned in the photo, her beautiful best friend served as her eyes – she would tell her everything that was happening around her. We wanted to get an update on Asma and thankfully found her and actually sat down with her and her father to speak. Asma is now in grade 4 and lives with her parents and four sisters. Because of her blindness, she has to count steps to go to the kitchen and the main door. Life is a continued struggle, but she makes the most of it and has a positive, happy attitude playing with her sisters and father and enjoying life. When her father returns home each day, he says “how are you, Asma?” so that she knows he is home and can run over to greet him. The family was very gracious and invited us to eat with them during our visit.
Asma was not allowed to stay in Diamond Jubilee School, the same school from our previous photo due to policies regarding special needs kids – the school could not accommodate her and so she was asked to leave. Instead, she now attends a local government school that is a little further away. The additional work of having to drop her off and pick her up is a burden on the parents. Sultan, the father, has to attend work to secure an income for the family, and so the mother goes each day each way to drop and pick Asma at school. When the mom is unable, Asma’s caring & sympathetic friends make sure she gets home safely. If there was a special needs school in the area, Sultan expressed that it would make their lives much easier. There is a special needs school in the other town of Gilgit but it does not have a place for her to stay on-site. He cannot afford to send her to a hostel due to his limited income and having to pay school fees for his four other daughters. Asma was given the option of attending a special needs school in Karachi, on the other end of the country, but was so distraught and cried at the thought of leaving her parents that they decided to keep her home rather than put her through such emotional trauma.
This clearly shows the plight of students with disabilities in the region. Special needs policies related to education have not progressed in the developing countries as much as they have in first world nations (even here in America they are still evolving). Sultan shared that Asma has no braille books available to her and is also unable to write. There is no system or process in place to enable this for someone who has no sight, and likely for many other children who face these types of challenges. Sultan and his wife constantly worry about their dear Asma. For now, they will take care of her as loving and dutiful parents, but once they pass on, he is unsure how she will survive. Since she is a female and has no male relatives other than Sultan, he is concerned about who will support her financially once he is no longer there. He carries this worry with a heavy heart all of the time, as any parent would in pondering their child’s future. He has taken her to doctors and they have not been able to offer any treatment that can improve her condition.
E-Britannica defines shamanism as a “religious phenomenon centred on the shaman, a person believed to achieve various powers through trance or ecstatic religious experience. They are typically thought to have the ability to heal the sick, to communicate with the otherworld, and often to escort the souls of the dead to that otherworld. A shaman is literally “one who knows.”” So during our Fall for Pakistan journey, when we had the chance to meet an actual shaman by the name of Guldana in our town, we were extremely excited, but oddly, it also felt a bit eerie as we traveled to her for our unplanned visit – as if she had beckoned us to her home at the far end of the mountain. It was a cool, crisp autumn evening, a magical aura about it with a slight breeze winding through the trees and leaves gliding down to the ground. Did she know we were coming? Did we want to know what our futures held in store? We were not sure but we’d soon find out – we knew this would be a rare experience we would never forget!
Guldana is a Wakhi elder in her 60s who has gained notoriety due to her status as a shaman for over forty years. She is so popular that she has even visited China three times to tell fortunes! Guldana has been interviewed by many over the years and people travel to her to find out their future. We asked her about her transition to this role – how it happened, when, if she still is able to communicate with the other world and spirits. Her story is one which begins centuries ago with her ancestral line.
Bobo Sufi and Jaf, were wealthy cow herders, but could not have children. One day, a stranger asked Ja, the wife, what she would desire in the world – she replied that she so very much wanted children. He told her to go drink the spring water from Afgharch in Hunza. She did so, and soon after, she gave birth to three children – 2 sons, and a daughter (Barch, Chique and Murwari respectively). Guldana’s ancestral line came from the son, Barch. This illustrated that this supernatural tendency runs in her family for many generations. It reminded us of the mythical stories you hear in European folklore, like of the nymph Melusina.