Social Work
UAT is one of the tour operators that not only organises trips and tours, but is also actively involved in social work.
We believe that it is important to give something back to the community. It helps those in need and makes the world a better place. There are many ways to give back, and every company and individual who is doing well financially should find a way to contribute. Whether through volunteering, fundraising or other means, giving is always a noble deed.
If you volunteer for a cause that is close to your heart, you will never regret it. It will enrich your life and bring you into contact with people and ideas that will positively influence your perspective for the rest of your life.
We are actively working to raise funds and improve the lives, especially of women, in a rural part of northern Pakistan called Minawar, on the outskirts of the city of Gilgit, where we have established a school for girls (founded by Helen Nam- US along with two brothers, Raji Ahmed and Mumtaz Alam) where underprivileged girls are given access to free and equitable education up to secondary level. We also have a sewing centre where women of all ages can learn this skill which helps them become financially independent.
We have also helped some widows to build houses for mothers and children and distribute food to needy families every year during Ramadan.
Outliers Secondary School (For Girls) Minawar Gilgit
What is OLSS?
Outliers Secondary School is located in the village of Minawar in the remote north of Pakistan. This girls’ school focuses on high school education and preparation for the college.
What is the vision of OLSS?
To empower girls and young women through equal access to education in a village where there are no higher education opportunities.
When and how was OLSS founded?
Founded in 2010 with significant financial support from Helen Nam from the USA. Helen is the founder and main donor of this school. Together with two brothers, Raji Ahmed, the co-founder (a tour guide by profession) and Mumtaz Alam (a government official), they set up the school. It was later expanded. Mumtaz Alam continues to oversee the running of the school, while Raji Ahmed is fundraiser for various projects alongside the school.
Why OLSS
In 2008, American Helen Nam was travelling through Gilgit Baltistan, the northern region of Pakistan, as a backpacker. She met Raji Ahmed, a tour guide from the city of Gilgit. They decided to hike to the Fairy Meadows at the foot of Nanga Parbat (8126m). Nanga Parbat is a mountain in the western Himalayas of Gilgit Baltistan in Pakistan, which they are climbing together with some other hikers.
After returning from the hike, Helen visited Minawar at Raji’s invitation, together with some other visitors from South Korea and Germany. Discussions began about the local culture, traditions, the role of women in the village and the literacy of women in the northern areas of North Pakistan.
Helen was shocked to learn that the girls of Minawar receive no basic education, while the boys have access to at least middle school.
Helen returned to the United States and visited Pakistan again in 2010, when Raji and Helen visited some villages in the suburbs of Gilgit to collect data on female literacy rates. Helen visited the village of Minawar, where she found that girls’ education was severely neglected compared to the other villages she visited.
Going to the next level; to actually found a school
Raji introduces his brother Mumtaz Alam, an ambitious and dedicated person. Mumtaz, who has experience in teaching and school administration, takes the lead in completing the legal formalities and gets people in the village to co-operate. Eventually, some of his friends joined in and the team grew stronger and stronger. Together, the group managed to break the stereotype that excluded girls from primary education and this eventually led to the founding of OLSS.
How far we have come
In the early days, when we had limited financial resources, we were initially given permission to use a vacant school building. This school was a government primary school, which we gradually expanded from grade 5 to grade 6 and then grade 7.
From a humble beginning, we then expanded it into a secondary school with minimal facilities in 2016. In addition to the classrooms, a small library, a science lab and a staff room were built as we wanted to ensure that the school had the basic requirements.
Future Plan – Girls College
What comes next?
A College would be the next step, as the local girls cannot go any further due to cultural barriers and limited financial resources. We have therefore started a fundraising campaign to expand the school into a College for the girls. If this goal is achieved, it will have a life-changing impact for the female community in this part of the world.
Donate or Waqaf (endowment) to Build Outliers Girls College
Alhamdulillah, after successfully establishing a Middle and High school for hundreds of underprivileged girls in Minawar village, Gilgit, Pakistan we are now hoping to open a college for the girls. Below are planned phases to get the planned college up.
Phase 1: Purchase of land
Phase 2: Construction building
Phase 3: College operations
The plan is for the college to be self-sustainable for affordable paying students and for those who can’t afford will be sponsored through donation adoption program when the college starts operations.
Background & Current
From a modest start, we then upgraded it to a secondary school capability in 2016 with minimum operational facilities. A small library, science lab, teachers’ room were built besides classrooms as we wanted to make sure they had a basic necessity of a school. Current situation is not a favorable one although it provides some sort of opportunities for the underprivileged girls in the area to an early education. We have progressed to provide the girls with ability up to secondary education only, but they can’t progress further to the next education level.
Education System in Pakistan:
• Level 1-5 – early primary
• 6 – 8- Middle school
• 9 -10 – secondary education (up to 10thgrade )
• 10- 12 – college
• University
All the students are from poor families, they can barely afford to pay little tuition fee , and even so, only covers 20-30% expenses, rest of all expenses are managed through donations. Over here the students are taught all science subject like, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Islamic study, and social study etc. Visiting teacher teaches them life skills to expose them to knowledge other than text books.
Plan ahead.
To establish a college for these girls before their admission to the university. This will require an acquisition of land and construction building of the college. The whole area of land will cost approximately USD $100,000 for a land area of 5 kanals. This is equivalent to a land price of 1 Kanal = USD $20,000.
| Prices and measurements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Items | Per Kanal | Whole Size (Kanal) | Total |
| Price (USD) | 20,000 | 5 | 100,000 |
| Square Feet | 5,445 | 5 | 27,225 |
We encourage the donors/ waqif to donate / waqaf per lot (1 lot = 5 square feet).
| Price per sq ft | Per lot (5 sq ft) | Total Lots |
|---|---|---|
| $ 3.67 | $ 18.35 | 5445 |
For benefits of international understanding, in imperial system measurement one kanal is equivalent to 5,445 square feet. The college requires a minimum of 5 Kanal – local unit of measurement for land which is equal to 27,250 square feet. Each square foot will cost:
– USD 3.67, or
– PKR 555.
– RM 15.50
– EURO 3.30
– GBP 2.90
– THB 115. 33
We have created a 3-year plan to raise the money to make the college an operational reality.
• Phase January 2023 – June 2024. Fund drive will be for land, target USD 100K, land price and administration and stamping charges inclusive
• Phase July 2024 – June 2025. Fund drive will be for the construction building starting up at USD 250K (guestimate) .
• Phase July 2025- June 2026. Fund drive will be for the school equipment and operational cost for one year expected to be USD 7-10K, monthly (guestimate)
Note: these are estimates and may vary as per market requirements and prices .Full paper work details of each phases will be prepared with estimated cost of items.
We can’t do it without you ! Be a waqif!
Life on this planet is short-term but, good deeds remain. Please do a cash waqaf (endowment) as many square feet of land as you can.
If you would like to make a cash waqaf and donation, please contact the person in the country closest to you from the list below. A receipt will be issued from the foundation for prove of payment. A statement of account of monies received will be published by the end of every completion of drive and will be audited by an external auditor and published in our page.
You can reach us out in the following countries: American, United Kingdom, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan.
