Partnership Walk held at Railroad Park
Posted: Sep 21, 2014 10:27 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 21, 2014 10:27 PM EDT
By Karen Church
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -
The festive atmosphere for this sixth annual Partnership Walk is a far cry from the poverty and hunger that ravages the people this walk is designed to help.
Many of the volunteers and participants either were raised in the very poverty they're working hard to change, or have relatives who live it everyday.
Others are fortunate to have the resources to come to Birmingham, many have or are attending schools here. Some are from Pakistan, some from India, and other countries.
Salima Mulji's family is from Pakistan. "As you know we live in a global community, and taking care of your neighbor is just as important as taking care of your own," Mulji said.
Mulji added, "Coming from a third world country, I have seen first hand, the problems and difficulties people face from the poverty. And the Aga Khan Foundation helped them be resilient, and help them bring up their quality of life.
The Foundation does not give money as a handout, rather as a hand up. The money is used to work on a variety of projects, like building dams, fixing waterways, mitigating natural disasters.
When workers are hired, then homes are built, and if it's fixing a beautiful monument, then toursists will come, hotels, restaurants.
In other words, a relatively small amount of money will end up sustaining a new and better lifestyle for the people being helped.
Hassan Sadruddin is a high school student who lives here, but his family is from Pakistan.
"Growing up in America, I've been really blessed with all the luxuries of life. And I didn't really realize this until my parents took me to Pakistan, and I got to see what life is like in these third world countries and the situations of poverty," Sadruddin said.
John Mark Edwards teaches social studies at Phillips Academy, and some of his 7th grade students put together this display to visualize some of the work that the Aga Khan Foundation has made possible.
This student shows improvements made to better care for women who are in labor.
"The idea is you raise awareness, you're getting people interested and then they highlight this fact that 100 percent of the proceeds go to the actual project," Edwards said.
That's because the current leader of a Muslim sect, Aga Khan, along with many sponsors and corporations underwrite all the costs.
The walk is free, but donations are welcome. And after seeing the work being done in these far away lands, participants step up to donate.
Last year, donors raised 300-thousand dollars to help people a half a world away.
Source and Video: http://www.myfoxal.com/story/26589860/p ... lroad-park