Living in Pakistan far from home and my friends, its only natural that there are moments when I wonder what exactly I’m doing here. And then there are prophetic moments when the clarity of my purpose washes over me with force. This was a moment of comprehension.
At Ansaar Management Company (AMC), we are laying the foundation for Pakistan’s future, quite literally. In a country that sees more poverty than it’s government is willing to prioritize, a lack of affordable housing means that 30-50% of one’s hard earned rupees goes to paying rent. When 120 US dollars per month is considered a normal family income, its hard to survive off of what’s left over.
By building vibrant housing communities, AMC is helping the poor invest in an asset and build a community. We help the poor stake out a turning point in their lives.
After years of preparation (slightly delayed due to our moral insistence not to pay speed money for government approvals), we are finally ready to set the tractors loose on our first major housing community. Today is the day.
Staring at the mud caked on my dress shoes, it occurs to me that I hadn’t come to the housing site prepared properly today. I’m certainly not expecting the emotional moment that is barreling towards me.
We’ve come today to lay our first brick.
The ceremony is being conducted entirely in Urdu—a language I don’t speak—and yet I understand it completely. The musky scent of sentiment can be felt hanging in the humid air.
When it comes time to lay the cornerstone, Jawad Aslam, our CEO, picks up a brick and gives it to Fizzah to place. Why? Because Fizzah is symbolic of AMC’s bravery, he says. Being the only female employee in a culture that is not accustomed to women in the workforce, she has become a leader in her department, just as AMC has redefined affordable housing in Pakistan.
One by one the rest of the AMC team lays down brick after brick as I—the only foreigner in sight—watch. Shahzad, Salman, Jamshaid, Amjad…and on they go. My Pakistani brothers, literally building a future together.
Pakistan is a country that has a long way to go, but everything that we need is right here. And this is just the start. We are also kicking off a new project even more symbolic of Pakistani empowerment: we are building a housing development for those displaced by the 2010 floods. A Pakistani home built by Pakistanis and paid for by a Pakistani foundation.
Though I can claim little responsibility for this moment, it brings me great pride and joy to see how far we’ve come, and yet I’m left with a sense of anticipation for what is yet to occur. In the early days, AMC was just three employees working out of a basement, now we are growing so fast that we are trying to find room in the budget for a nametag maker. And yet, there is a long journey ahead.
I’ll wrap up this post the same way I wrapped up the video, with just one message for AMC:
“May you build the future”.
- Bryan
17 May 2012: POP & Social Media
14 May 2012: A humbling second chance for SKS
13 May 2012: Sunday Morning Coffee: Matchups
10 May 2012: Build Off Your Weaknesses
This is an incredible story of patience and persistence. My favourite RP post thus far.
Bryan,
This is so beautifully written and inspiring. I am so proud of what you, Jawad, and the team at AMC are doing. Congratulations, this is what it is all about.
Blair
Great job catching the spirit of the moment, Bryan. Your work and your writing are both inspiring.
Harry
What an powerful post and video! The image of Fizzah laying the first brick will stay with me for a long, long time… Thank you for sharing this story and all that you are doing.
This is so inspiring – and so important to bring ritual to these beginnings of dreams. Great job, Bryan! We are all with you….
Jacqueline
I’m in tears reading this and watching the video … what an incredibly beautiful moment to capture and oh so inspiring … thank you Bryan!
Absolutely brilliant . Well done and keep up the good work!
Cheers
What an amazing moment, and so well captured, Bryan! I teared up reading this and watching the photographs – such an important milestone and so well captured! Congratulations to Jawad, the AMC team and you! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for the post and update, truly sounds like a monumental moment in the future of AMC and Pakistan and for poor urban housing in general, one of the future conondrums many governments are already trying to get a grapple around. this is a very empowering model!