Reading a book, sipping coffee, sitting under a gazebo, enjoying the soothing sunshine of a reluctantly receding winter in one of the many parks in Islamabad - a luxury that is available to many but availed by a few. This week I joined my friend QID, who spends many hours of the day in this serene and delightful zero-carbon-footprint routine. It is at this point that a small and insignificant event took place that made me rethink many of my puffy concepts on the environment, development and self-help.
Not too far from where we sat in the F-11 Park, there were two men – hard at work, digging earth and planting saplings with great care and dexterity. They would plant the new saplings, prune the ones already planted, hoe the soil, take out weeds and place protective metal frames around the weak and the vulnerable plants. Clearly this was a type of sincerity and dedication rare among those employed in the service of the state. We wanted to know more about what made these two individuals plant hundreds of trees in this and many other parks of this sector.
A view of the well-tended park
The two gardeners hired by F-11’s anonymous benefactor
He is a one-person Capital Development Authority (CDA), except that he is far more efficient
This is what we discovered.
Khadim Hussain and Sunny Abbas, the two friendly and committed gardeners have been hired by an individual who lives in the same area. Preferring anonymity over fame, he has taken upon himself the task of not just planting thousands of trees but also maintaining the four parks and the nearby open areas in the F-11/2 sector of Islamabad. De facto he is a one-person Capital Development Authority (CDA), except that he is far more efficient. His two-member self-propelled team knows exactly what is to be done each day. This includes planting trees, cutting hedges, weeding flowers, applying nutrients, clearing shrubs and general upkeep and maintenance of the entire sector. There are no files, meetings, foreign funding, mineral water bottles, approvals or any other symbols of bureaucracy.
F-11 has much for which to thank its anonymous benefactor!
