If I was crowned Miss Universe, I would....

For years we have seen the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants; the struggles that they pursue to look great, represent their country and fight it with beauty and wits to be able to best answer the final question: 'If you were crowned Miss Universe tonight, what change would you like to bring in the World?'

To perceive the desired change and to actually strive to make the change are a world apart on their own. If being crowned Miss Universe was based on answering that question best (most of the times), then lets you and I, and the rest of us, crown ourselves Miss Universe of our own little Universes for the natural empathy we all possess for Mankind!

Initially, I had intended to write about the struggles I faced in my last four weeks - which I spent completely dependant on my left hand for unimaginable tasks for the sake of survival - hehee.. (For those of you who still don't know, I am recovering from a dislocated right elbow - and Alhamdulillah, after having finished one month, I am now waiting to completely recover over the next month, InshaAllah).

However, I eventually chose to switch to a more 'meaningful' area to voice out.

It so happened that I attended a Presentation on Friday night, based on a Humanitarian service being done by a lady (and with the cooperation of her husband and 9 year old daughter) for the under-facilitated Mothers and children of remote mountainous villages in Gilgit, Pakistan.

From the unreachable and difficult rocky areas where there is no government support or attention and under-facilitated dispenseries (with no regular staff), under-developed Gilgit is well known to be an area deprived of basic amenities like electricity, drinking water and elementary health care facilities.*

Where women who die after baby's delivery (and sometimes even before they can actually deliver) because of lack of pre & post-natal care, Gilgit sees expecting-mothers' deaths and abnormal child births at a regular.

However, what we often forget is that perceiving a regular problem doesn't mean to eventually be ignorant and insensitive to it!

It is for THESE Mothers and Children - for the sole sake of Humanity, a lady emerged with the foresight and dream to help these people out of their miserable situation and aid their survival. She left her life out in the United States (having attained her Masters in Medical out there) and her 9 years of services as the head of the Nursing department in Agha Khan Hospital in Karachi, to head out towards the Stone-age in the 21st Century: this under-developed area where it isn't only difficult to commute, but even to communicate on phone-lines (as they don't have any network coverage!)

It was truly inspiring to hear Dr.Farzana's story out, where she presented us with facts, figures and video coverages on the difficult situation out there and her aims to serve the many villages out there with her Mother-and-Childcare Hospital.

Although lacking funds, facilities and manpower, Dr.Farzana remained determined and chose to permanently reside on those mountainous grounds - where the language, culture, means of transport, communication and people are a completely different world and century apart!

It made me realise that sometimes we barely do too much, yet consider and flaunt those minute acts so highly (I mean, I was actually meaning to write about my achievements using my LEFT HAND! Goshhh! How LAME!) On the other hand, there are people in this world who still do exist, to carry out incomparable and great tasks, with endless sacrifices and selflessness.

Where the portfolio of Miss Universe and Miss World consists of posing for photographs, starring in Movies, and humanitarian projects of solely visiting Under-privileged centres and organizations, I am sure if we ask those people living in Gilgit what Dr.Farzana is for them - they would rank her Miss Universe for themselves.

Indeed we feel like we do so much for the community and aid the needy, but if we look around, we will see that we would still think twice to see if the area has a mobile-phone network coverage, infrastructure to transport us around and the INTERNET to survive to communicate with the outside world.

So, it's just too less to say 'If I were crowned Miss Universe, I would.......' because some people don't really wait to be crowned Miss Universe; they pursue their noble aims self-lessly, for the sake of Humanity.

To all of the eligible candidates to enter this particular contest and race of serving Humanity: the final question to win is - "How far are you willing to go or do?"

With this thought,

Sadaf Zahra

To request a copy of the Video presentation, or for questions, statistical data, donations or even just kind words of support and encouragement - for the Mother & Child care Hospital project in Gilgit - contact Br.Mustafa Hemani on +97150 62 44 176 or email hemanihb@eim.ae

* Extra Reading:

• Article in Dawn, on under-priveleged Gilgit, dating back to 1st March 2004 on http://www.dawn.com/2004/03/01/local43.htm
• On Chowk.com, written in 2006: The People of Gilgit Baltistan - The political orphans http://www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00006997&channel=civic%20center