ISLANDS OF HOPE

Dr Akhter Hameed Khan – philosopher, poet, scholar, Sufi and social scientist – passed away on October 12, 1999. He left behind a remarkable legacy which needs to be shared with all those who believe that change can happen and that people’s lives can be transformed for the better. Throughout his life, Dr Akhter Hameed Khan set an example to others on how to live within one’s own means. He was deeply committed to Sufism’s central principles of simplicity, tolerance and peace. He left the prestigious Indian Civil Service to become a locksmith because he wanted to understand the lives of the poor. Later, as Director of the Comilla Project in East Pakistan in the 1960s (now Bangladesh, where they still revere him), he was able to undertake concrete development work which suited his temperament. He could now apply what he had learnt to mobilize communities and introduce participatory development. Visitors were amazed at what they saw – the condition of the poor had changed beyond recognition thanks to Dr Akhter Hameed Khan’s guidance. After the separation of East Pakistan, he returned to Karachi where his finest hour was yet to come, for in his late 60s he was asked to set up the Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi’s sprawling low income settlements. Dr Akhter Hameed Khan, modestly clad in a rough cotton shirt and a pajama became a familiar sight among the residents of Orangi Town. This unassuming man transformed Orangi with his philosophy of self-help. A great believer in the power of people, he mobilized and guided the residents with skills and technical assistance to lay a sewerage system to improve their environment. Following this he established a micro-credit system that has made Orangi’s residents self-reliant and active contributors to the country’s economy. The OPP is now used as a model for urban development around the world. Despite the fact that Dr Akhter Hameed Khan brought about such a major change in the community with his ideas and dedication, his recognition at the state level does not match his contribution. His name was even dragged through a false blasphemy case. A befitting tribute to Akhtar Hameed Khan would be to teach his theory of self-reliance in schools and at the university level so that his ideas can find their way into the policies of development. Dr Akhter Hameed Khan was eventually given several awards – the Hilal-e-Pakistan, Sitara-e-Pakistan and the international Magsaysay Award (Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel prize) from the President of the Philippines. Although he is no longer with us, his work lives on in the people he inspired and taught and the communities he organized and developed.In the Orangi Pilot Project, which he founded, and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, with which he was closely affiliated, Dr Akhter Hameed Khan saw “a ray of hope – a willingness of the people to do something”. He saw in people a great resurgence. He was hoping that by making small islands, one day they would cover the entire country.