Search Topics
A Daughter Of Pakistan, Born Again In China.
Submitted by: W.Khalid
Karachi, PakistanA rising star is what describes my personality. A fighter who never stops smiling but at the same time, also a child who hugs the pillow every night and can burst out in tears.
My name is Warda which means “flower,” but before you think or imagine a flower, let me tell you that I’m a flower that grew from concrete. I was a struggling girl who had been stuttering since childhood, or you could say since the day I was born. The struggle started for me on the same day I was born because my father had a second marriage before I came into this world. I don’t know what a father’s love is, and I lost his physical appearance at 9 when I needed him the most. I have gone through a lot of hardships in my life. When I was 14, my mother lost her vision. The doctor said that due to the dryness in her eyes, she would not get her vision back. I was feeling utterly helpless but I never stopped trying.
We are five siblings, and I am the second last in my family and the youngest daughter. From high school grade 11, I never stopped struggling and trying. I did tutoring at home for money, I did part-time jobs like typing, and I was even teaching some students for free to let them know about my abilities.
When I came to China in 2019, I came here with several loans because I had no money to survive. My mother could not see as she lost her vision. I had no father, and I was the youngest child. My other siblings stopped their education because of our financial issues, but seeing the ignorance of some relatives and the rude behavior of other close people made me think about doing something for my family. It is rightly said that being born poor is not a choice, but being dead poor is a choice.
In 2019 I got selected for the prestigious scholarship awarded by the Chinese Government and admitted to the CUG, Wuhan. September 2nd was my birthday. I went to another city alone at 3 AM for a Visa. Having just 5000 PKR, which is almost 200 RMBs in my pocket, the driver asked me where I was going alone because in Pakistan, girls usually don’t travel independently after midnight. I traveled from Karachi to Islamabad. I was suffering from a high fever but instead of going to the doctor, I went to the VISA office because I had no place to live. My aunt arranged a place for me with her in-laws for a night as I was sick and not feeling well. They took care of me and gave me medicine, and when I received my VISA, I returned home.
On September 11th, I arrived at the China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China. After coming to CHINA with a 6500 RMB loan from my uncle, I came here and started praying to God to please bring back my mother’s vision. I could not see her like this, even though I was going through my own battles too. As the youngest child and the one who needed the most care, I could not see my mother like this. I was depressed but I never lost hope. I got my double stipend together, and I sent that to my mom in Pakistan for her eye operation. The day that I heard that my mom got her vision back was one of the happiest days of my life. I appreciate the stipend amount the Chinese Government gave me as it also helped me clear my previous loans. My habit of stuttering also disappeared with time.
In CUG, I had the most memorable time of my life. My mentor, Professor Peng Liu, actually made me an independent researcher. He sometimes smiled at me because the day he scolded me was the same day I went to him again for the next assignment. He always welcomed me because I had a nature of never giving up. He pushed me so hard to do research. He always asked me to find solutions by myself, and I never disappointed him because his trust in me never let me lose hope. I ended up publishing my first manuscript in one of the best environmental journals, CHEMOSPHERE. It was not just Professor Liu, my Chinese lab mates also helped me and made me familiar with the lab equipment. Tang and Liu Xin were my strongest supporters in the lab. The cooperation of the international office of CUG, including Teacher Monica, Teacher Angela, Teacher King Luo, Teacher Jacky, Teacher Tommy, and many others, was nothing less than fantastic. Dean Xu mainly played an important role in nourishing my personality. I also found two best friends, Asmat Ali and Abdur Rashid, from Pakistan. They supported me throughout those years and played an important role in my life.
Now with several big achievements in my life, I was awarded as the outstanding graduate student of 2022, being the first female of our CUG to publish a high-impact manuscript and also to present herself on the Silk Road Doctor Forum. I also grabbed a job in the biggest Mining Group as an Environment Engineer and that has also completely changed my life. I always say that CUG made this zero a Hero today. Now I am being very well paid in my career. It feels like being born again in this beautiful country of China. This country also gives me my name, Xiaomi, which is also a famous brand in China.
After spending more than three years in China, I realized that they respect and love hardworking people who belong to any culture and religion. If I get a chance to do something for this beautiful country, I am ready to sacrifice myself as after Pakistan, this is my second home. The example of friendship between these two countries should not be written in anything less than golden words. I always appreciate and respect China because it has taught me that every sad story can have a happy ending when someone puts in the hard work and remains consistent. Thank you so much and thank you for The Power.