Gems of wisdom
A piece of advice for jobless educated youth
Sohail Rashid
RAWALPINDI, October 8, 2010: After getting education, most people look for a white-collar job to live a life of comfort. Some of them succeed in getting their desired employment, while others after remaining unemployed for quite some time get frustrated. Only a few are realistic enough to opt for practical ways of livelihood without caring for their so-called status in society.
Muhammad Jamil, aged 35, is one such man. He has been selling peanuts on a pushcart in Gawalmandi for the last 12 years even after having an ‘original’ certificate of intermediate. He hails from Mirpur, AJK, a town commonly known as ‘Mini England’.
Talking to INFN, Muhammad Jamil said: “I am working here since 1998. I had started this work after the death of my father, as there was no one else to feed the family”. He said that his family comprises 10 members, including his widowed mother.
“After completing my FA, I tried my best to get a job, but failed. I realised soon that it is next to impossible to find a job. I decided to start this small business without wasting any time”, said Muhammad Jamil. “Now I am satisfied with my life as I have succeeded in educating my sisters and brothers through this small business”, he added with pride in his eyes.
Muhammad Jamil is fond of reading literature and current affairs books. When he was asked does he feel he should have a proper job as he is educated, he replied: “Education teaches us to work hard for a living. The main dilemma of our youth is that they only go for white collar jobs after being educated. For this reason, the number of literate unemployed youth is one the rise in our country”.
“Young people should be imparted skill-based education in academic institutions to reduce unemployment. Educated persons should do something instead of sitting idle and cursing their fate. I am not asking them to become a vendor, but at least while searching for a white-collar job they should not sit idle at home”, Muhammad Jamil concluded.