RE-POST

October 5, 2012 – Sabaz, Security

My name is Sabaz Ali and I work in security. My age is 58 years, and I dwell at Vario village. I served frontier forces of Pakistan and retired as “Hawaldaar”1 after 18 years. During my service, I was entitled to purchase standardized and low-cost grocery products from CSD2 shop with help of which I was able to feed myself, my children and my mother.

When I retired I had no more salary, but I started receiving a pension. It was very difficult to run home on pension alone. My three children were studying in a government school. My wife was unable to meet daily home expenses by my pension. She was always demanding education fee for children, books expenses, grocery and food expenses, medical expenses etc. She demands for clothes, shoes and gifts whenever there is a marriage ceremony in our family. I had always been thinking in depression and tension about earning maximum to meet my family expenses.

During my service I had reasonable income. In forces as a soldier, I was entitled to free education, clothing and medical. I was busy in my routine and out-of-routine duties in forces services. But after retirement, my wife was not happy with me due to financial problems. My close friends suggested that I should find a job so that I may spend a busy time all day long and earn money as well.

One of my friends told me about vacancies in a sports factory near my village. I thanked God and joined duty as a security guard in the factory. Once again I was busy in day to day work and I was getting reasonable salary. Now my wife was happier than before, but educational expenses of children were a hot issue for me.

One day I was standing at the factory gate and my mind was occupied with thoughts of arranging books, copies and school bags for my children. I was thinking of excuses for not providing stationery goods to my children. But on that day, a banner was posted in the factory and I was hopeful again. The banner said: ”Fairtrade Joint Body3 is arranging for free notebooks, school bags and other stationery items for the school going children of employees and stitchers of the factory”. I felt great joy and told the good news to my children when I reached home, and assured them that they would be getting stationery goods soon. (Insha Allah).

On the scheduled day, all the employees were gathered in a ceremony in the factory. Joint Body members distributed notebooks, school bags and other stationery items to all the deserving employees.

On receiving this gift, everyone was happy. Employee’s   faces were shining and smiling. I took my packet too. I was praying for factory owners, Joint Body members and for their business. May Allah protect them from worries and may their business prosper and flourish day and night.

Sabaz

1 Hawaldaar is an Urdu word meaning soldier. “Hawaldaar” is a job title as well in Pakistan Army.

2 CSD – This is name of the shop that normally the Pakistan Army runs for its employees. Items have better rates here as compare to ordinary market.

3 The Fairtrade Joint Body receives funding from the production of every Fairtrade Sports Ball made for VOLO Athletics. This funding is deposited directly into the Fairtrade Joint Body Bank Account, then used by the community of employees by way of a democratic process.