Widowed British Pakistani woman to undertake a journey of discovery, heritage and revelation

Solo road trip from the south to the north

Expedition will raise funds for women’s empowerment and development charities in Pakistan

I feel enormously blessed with the love, support and kindness I have received over the years in my home town of Newbury, Berkshire. I have engaged with two non-governmental organisations in Pakistan who support women, many of whom are widowed or lone parents in Pakistan. I hope to in some way offer something back to these women. Reinventing yourself and transforming your life without your rock is a challenge in any case but, having to do this in a highly patriarchal society must seem an impossible task.

The two NGOs are www.imchf.org and www.behbud.org. Both work on building skills for women to enable them to be financially secure. IMCHF also work in improving health and education access in rural and vulnerable communities.

IMCHF - NGO - The International Maternal & Child Health Foundation (HQ in Canada) work in the following focus areas: Maternal/New-born/Children’s Health , Mental Health , Education , Telehealth , Research

Behbud (means “advancement”) – NGO - Run by volunteers for 48 years, working to alleviate poverty, supporting and strengthening women through: Education, Healthcare , Legal advocacy, Community empowerment, Social enterprises for women , Vocational training .

According to the World Economic Forum, Pakistan is the second worst country in the world in terms of gender parity. Women hold fewer than 7% of managerial positions.

Early marriage remains a serious issue in Pakistan, with 21% of girls in the country marrying before the age of 18, and 3% marrying before 15.

More than five million primary school age children in Pakistan are not in school, most of them are girls, according to Human Rights Watch.

There were 35,935 female suicides between 2014 and 2016 according to figures by White Ribbon Pakistan.

Education is the single most important route to development, tackling poverty and vulnerability, providing families and individuals with financial independence and personal growth and both these NGOs are undertaking numerous projects to tackle this.

It is my aim to raise £20k through this platform before, during and after my road trip, raising the profile of these NGOs through social media updates and vlogs. I have connected with many grass roots community organisations that are doing tremendous work across Pakistan but there is still so much work to be done. As a British Pakistani I have been quite disconnected with my heritage of late. I hear that Pakistan is undergoing a new wave of transformation, and the new emerging Pakistan is progressive with great ambition and integrity. I want to reconnect with my heritage, see for myself and share the new Pakistan as seen through the eyes of real people.

The planned route will run from Karachi in the South, home to my late husband's family, to the Northern borders. Along the way, i will be engaging with women's and girls' groups in schools, universities and the wider community to share life stories, motivate others, and to understand what challenges women and girls face living in Pakistan. I will also be compiling a book that will encompass a sharing of Pakistani life, culture and heritage alongside real stories and recipes and a percentage of book sale proceeds will also be donated to the cause.

All funds raised from the fundraising platform will go to the NGOs’ programmes specifically in the education and development of women across cities and in the rural areas. I will source funds and sponsorship separately to support me with the logistics and delivery of this venture. if you are a business or individual wishing to sponsor me, please private message me and I will forward my funding proposal to you.

In addition to fundraising for a worthy and transformational cause, it is a chance to raise awareness and show Pakistani life, culture, love and generosity to the UK and wider, to dispel some of the myths and preconceptions perpetuated in the media, and to an extent also challenge some of my own perceptions.