My father my Hero



I am on 3rd number among four sisters, I was three years old when my youngest sister Ashi took birth, she was one day old when my uncle ( my father’s younger brother) came in and started beating my mother, he pulled her hair and threw something heavy in her head, it started bleeding, her blood was reaching to her legs, foot and then floor of the room no one stepped in to control him he was beating her badly still and she was not even crying as she already knew it would happen for she gave birth to the 4th daughter but my one day old sister was crying a lot, my mother was trying to reach to her so that she could feed her and would stop her from crying but she was failed, then he took me in his hands and ran towards roof of our house he wanted to throw me down because now we were four sisters and he wanted us to die, according to him we were a burden on the family.



But then my father ran towards him (who just entered in the house) and shouted at my uncle and asked him to stop right there, in this way I was safe, he brought my mother to the doctor, we stayed for a night in his friend’s home then other day he sent us all back to my mother’s parents ‘house for our safety.



After few days he also came by leaving his parents and brothers and started living with us, it was almost 28 years before since then he never went back there.



Then he told my mother that they will not produce any more children in expectation of a son but they will give brought up to their daughters like sons.



I was about five years old when he taught me to read newspaper, to listen news on TV, watch cricket match and to improve my English speaking by watching BBC and CNN.



He would say, by watching films and dramas you will waist so much time but by watching these things what I say you will increase your knowledge and it will shape your future.



He was right, today even those women take lessons from me who had been university students and I have never been to a school after 7th standard because I have knowledge of history, present and he taught me even to smell the future of our world



When I decided to leave my school because of being discriminated there, he taught me one thing he said, if you will hate those who hate you, you will increase hate but if you love those who hate you, you will multiply the love.



He was the first person on this earth who understood me and allowed me to open my own school in courtyard of our house when I was just 13 years old although everybody else made fun of me.



In 2006 when gunmen attacked on my house, we were told by policemen to leave our village for our security but he was the one who came back with me, started the school again with me and brought back my mother and other sisters and convinced them to visit with me door to door to recruit the students again.



About 25 years before in an accident he got injured badly and could not do any work after that but even today he arranges water for my students, from his own money he buys candies and fruits for them. He sits in the street during the school hours to have an eye on any suspicious thing or person, when in 2013 some people attacked on my house he was the only man in the whole village who tackled with them and still when I reached to home from my office and came to know about the incident he said to me, You will not stop doing your work, Our Government cannot solve all problems alone from our country but we common people have to take a stand with our government.



They (who give threats or attack) cannot do anything bad to you they are cowardsactually they are afraid of you because you are educating girls.



Today only one sister of my mother and her family and one nephew of my mother with his family like to meet us, all other relatives have boycotted us, no one likes to meet or to talk to us because they think my father has given extra freedom to his daughters, people give me threats, make stories about me, they attack on me, they think I am extra bold, they think I am a threat for the Christian community as I teach to Muslim girls because my 99% students are Muslims but still my father says keep going sister Zeph you are the only hope, you are a candle who has to enlighten all lives in this country through education and empowerment, never give up I am with you.



In a world where girls have no right to have their own identity my father allowed me to choose the life of my choice.



My father is an example for our world because if all fathers will be like him all girls will be like me who will be able to take bold steps, who will be courageous and who will have a potential to face all kind of circumstances to achieve their goals and who will change lives of other women in their surroundings.









How to Get Involved



I would like  you to follow  us on  social media to see the impact which we are making by educating and empowering women in Pakistan 





 





https://www.facebook.com/zephaniahfreeacademy/





https://zepheducation.org/





 

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