Shiza Fatima, O Level North Campus
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” –Winston Churchill
In order to make the youth more responsible towards the rights of those around us, the FPS administration arranged five consecutive weeks of community service for Grade 10 students to visit venues such as Old Gills Home, Dar-ul-Sukun, and a government secondary school.
My venue was Dar-ul-Sukun, where I, along with other teammates, got an opportunity to spend some quality time with specially-abled children. The organization operates upon the large funds given by generous, sympathetic people. People of all age levels reside there; from two-month old child to a lady in her sixties, we interacted with all of them.
In order to facilitate the children, we arranged numerous activities to engage and teach theme, including color identification, English classes, Urdu writing skills, and sports events like races and cricket matches. Alongside this, we were educated on a number of topics – for example, we attended seminars on different disabilities, and were taught how to secure a child in the case of a seizure. This experience allowed us to become more socially aware, and in turn be a better source of help to those around us.
Spending our Saturdays at the venue expanded our social consciousness, and encouraged us to work for the welfare of others in the future as well. We are looking forward to volunteering again and again in the years to come.
Khushi Gandhi, O Level Defence Campus
I started my community service journey in May 2021 when Ms. Fatima, our mentor, taught us the true essence of how we can help the community. The first project I did was Indus Hospital Digital 3 in which we attended doctors’ sessions, made posters, raised funds, and spread awareness online. This project is really close to my heart as I learnt a lot from it. Being an introvert, it was hard for me to ask people for donations but when I started fundraising people really supported me and helped me achieve my goals. I learnt that no matter how small the amount is, it is the kindness and love behind it that matters. It truly inspired me to do more projects. Our school, FPS, has always given us students the opportunity to explore the world. It has taught us the true values of love, compassion and sharing.
Whether it was cleaning the beach at sea view, or learning how to make crafts at KCC or teaching the children at MMB, serving the community has given me huge delight and satisfaction. The journey has been immensely motivating and highly rewarding.
I have come to realize that we as a generation have the ability to make our world a more connected, more peaceful, and more hopeful place. I hope and wish I can continue doing these acts of community service long after I have graduated from this esteemed institution.
Hamna Haider, A Level
I’ve always appreciated FPS for instilling values that reflect compassion and an attitude of gratitude in me. Caring for those in my surroundings almost feels like second nature because in my thirteen years here, these values have become an integral part of my life.
A Level especially, made sure to give me a plethora of opportunities to do something for my community. Whether it be COVID supplies drives, winter cloth drives, fundraisers, charity-driven bake sales, or going to orphanages to teach children, FPS ensured we had the opportunity to do it all.
I would like to reflect on my time at Providence, an all-girls orphanage. A designated team of students goes to teach there on specified days and, at the end of our project, we planned to surprise them with a fun get-together. From decorating the entire Providence building, to choosing personalized gifts for all the girls, from making food to face painting, that experience was one of the most memorable ones in my life.
The unfiltered happiness on the girls’ faces made all our efforts worth it and I know for a fact that I will cherish the memories made that day for the years to come.
Sarah Sajjad, O Level Defence Campus
Engaging in community service provides students with the opportunity to become active members of the social fabric around us. It also has a lasting, positive impact on society at large. FPS ensures that the youth doesn’t forget about the art of helping people in need; our school has made volunteering an integral part of the students’ journey, offering us a broad spectrum of projects and opportunities that enable us to engage in welfare work. This has helped us develop compassion, empathy, and social awareness. Our work as volunteers has also given us a sense of identity and internal fulfilment.
The more empowered you feel about your role in society, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals. These are the exact feelings I get when I go for community service. Be it teaching children how to paint at the MMB school, spending time with patients at the Indus Hospital, cleaning the beach, or collecting ration for the under-privileged, every project taught me that I am capable of leading positive change. The best part is when the students who you are teaching surprise you with things you have not even imagined. Here I would like to share the example of a student, Pakeeza, who recreated my painting but in a far better manner.
I am grateful to my institution for instilling this great quality of compassion in me, and I would like to keep this attribute ignited within me throughout my life.
Manaar Salman, O Level North Campus
This year, we visited a secondary government school and interacted and bonded with the students there. We loved seeing their excitement every week!
We not only taught the students, but also played different indoor and outdoor games with them. Receiving their cards and notes of love and gratitude on our last day at their school was a true reminder of the FPS Core Value “Give & Receive Joy.”
All the times we talked and laughed together have been ingrained in our hearts, and we will always cherish them. I feel this experience was necessary at this point in our lives, as we have been humbled because of this exposure. Exploring and learning about the society we live in is really important so we get to know more about the people around us, and our role in creating a better world. Indeed, this was really helpful in terms of our character building.
We the students are grateful for this opportunity to learn such valuable life lessons. On behalf of the students, I want to thank the FPS administration from the bottom of my heart for arranging this for us and making sure that we avail this opportunity to the fullest.
