When there is a will, there is a way. The story of Ansar Ali, is inspiring thousands of people on the Internet. From waiting tables to finally holding a degree, this man is really making all of us proud.
Salaar Khan, a LUMS alumni shared the story of Ansar Ali in a series of tweets. Sharing the photo of Ansar from eight years ago, he explained how he had compromised his education to support his family.
Back in 2013, when I was still a student at LUMS, the LUMS Photographic Society was doing a series of profiles on people on campus titled 'Humans of LUMS'. This photo was a part of that campaign, along with the following interview in the caption: pic.twitter.com/Vero3oBFKJ
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
The story is winning hearts
He came across this interview by LUMS Photographic Society and realized how difficult it must have been for Ansar to work among students who are brimming with ideas.
“To have been so fond of school, but compelled by circumstance to turn away is one thing. But to abandon school to work in a university – amidst all these students, frothing with ideas and things that they had just learned – much as he once did, seemed a special kind of cruelty.”
To have been so fond of school, but compelled by circumstance to turn away is one thing. But to abandon school to work in a university – amidst all these students, frothing with ideas and things that they had just learned – much as he once did, seemed a special kind of cruelty.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
Salaar and his friends felt guilty and would often tip him generously. But when they were graduating, they decided to give a ‘parting gift’ to Ansar.
“We decided we were going to put Ansar back in school.”
Fast-forward two years. I was President of the student body & as our tenure drew to an end, we were mulling over a Parting Gift (a loose tradition where the graduating batch would sometimes give back to the campus community). We decided we were going to put Ansar back in school.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
However, when they broke the news to him, Ansar felt it was too good to be true. It was then they realized it wouldn’t be an easy journey.
“Quite soon after the initial excitement settled, it became obvious that this would be a lot more complicated than we had thought. Covering his fees wouldn’t be enough. To make this work, we would have to provide for his family too; that was why he had to quit, to begin with.”
Quite soon after the initial excitement settled, it became obvious that this would be a lot more complicated than we had thought. Covering his fees wouldn't be enough. To make this work, we would have to provide for his family too; that was why he had to quit, to begin with.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
He then decided to visit his mother and convinced her that the family would continue to get the support even after he continues his education. Thankfully, she agreed.
But no amount of pontification on long-term vs. short-term decision-making would put food on their table. We left seeking one thing:if we ensured that the family continued to get what he was making at the moment would they promise not to take him out of school? His mother agreed.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
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Ansar Ali begins school
But what came next was a series of challenges.
“Covering both things would cost around 30k a month. He still had to do his FA/FSc, and then university. Assuming nothing increased, this would be a total amount of close to 20 lakhs. It seemed a fairly impossible task, but we decided we would figure it out as we went along.”
They raised funds for him and even set up donation boxes all over campus. A week later, Ansar Ali quit his job because he was going back to school.
We set up a GoFundMe account and put up donation boxes all over campus. This picture was taken by the Photographic Society in the same spot where that first shot was taken. A week after, Ansar quit his job at Zakir.
Ansar was going back to school. pic.twitter.com/ZqpqX4GX1A
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
To save on rent, Ansar moved into a room in our home. There, he would study into the early hours of the morning. (After a gap of close to a decade, he had a lot to catch up on.) On his wall, he had a note to himself: "I will score 800+".
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
Of course, there was no shortage of criticism either: Why put so much into one person? There are so many others out there. He will become spoiled and lazy. etc. etc.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
“We kept collecting what we could, and he kept studying. Two years later, Ansar passed his FA with over 800 marks, and an overall grade of an ‘A’.”
Ansar got admission to SZABIST Islamabad with a partial scholarship. And the challenges continued.
Now it was time for university. Ansar was good with numbers and decided he wanted to study accounting. We applied to several places, and he got into SZABIST with a partial scholarship. Here, new challenges.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
One thing was clear: if you can't speak English, then even in Pakistan, a big old ceiling looms right above your head. So we found an online English course and enrolled Ansar in that. The results weren't instant, but he has now cleared level C2 (good enough for IELTS 9.0).
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
Salaar Khan also shared a then and now photo of Ansar, sharing how proud he feels.
And this is Ansar, now – in a very much non-photoshopped suit, presenting on Monetary Policy, as he finishes his BS in Accounting and Finance at SZABIST, in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/soTew1FWXl
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
Ansar is now on a job hunt.
Ansar is to graduate in June so we're now on the hunt for a job. He would like to work in Accounts and has completed an internship at a firm that's offered him a job. But, given everything that's gone into this journey, I just want to make sure he takes the best offer he can get.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
And here’s how you can help him.
Ideally looking for something in Punjab/isb, but Peshawar works too.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) April 17, 2021
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