A tribute to JD

JD passed away this morning…

I met Jiwandas (JD) a few years ago, during an interview that I gave for a role at  the Engro Foundation.  What most of my friends, I think don’t know, is that that was the darkest time in my life. I had been shamed and discriminated against in a very high profile role at another organization by my CEO, and my self-esteem and faith in my own ability was shattered. A few months after quitting, I came to Engro Foundation to work on one of their projects.JD was my boss. 

I was a passionate, at times impatient person who wanted to do good for the world. I had radical ideas about education, alternative learning and wanting to do things differently.  What I got in JD at that time was a teacher and mentor. He would sit and listen to me for hours, share ideas and advice on what I could do.  He was patient and allowed me to grow, just like any other teacher would.   When he handed over Engro’s Education Program to me a few months later, he knew that I had no experience in the Education sector. When I told him that, he said you have enough experience working in communities and that is what you need. He spent the next few months, helping me learn, get exposure, visiting other schools and organizations. He patiently waited as I made mistakes, struggled, never being authoritative or critical of me.  He pushed me towards the Katcha program, telling me that I had passion for those communities. The Katcha Education program, which changed so much of my outlook on development, still remains the best part of my work these days.  JD helped me to start believing in myself again.

At this time, I would also use my days off to start a water service in a fishing community.  He was my go to person to get advice about so many things, whether that was the patriarchy I faced working with a male CBO there, to structure of the enterprise, to where I could get funding for the project.  When we were ready to launch, he had moved out of Engro to East Timor to be part of the Child Life fund. Yet he made calls to his friends and colleagues in Pakistan for them to fund my project.

When he came back to Engro a few years later to run the Thar CSR program, he offered me a job. I said I couldn’t do it, as it was attached to coal mining. We disagreed on coal mining-  he thought that resettlement and coal mining would lead to more development. I strongly disagreed, and yet I told him that if it was to happen, I was glad that he was there to oversee the resettlement, because he would be the best person to do it.  

JD and I both worked at a corporate foundation, and yet we both felt like outsiders. I would often go to him frustrated when I didn’t agree with something happening in the company, but he always reminded me of the good that Engro was capable of.   At times he also got cynical . I would say him to we should develop worker based enterprises. He would laugh and say ‘ naukri sey nikalwayengi kya’. He knew from experience which fight to take up and whoch one  to forego.

JD signified love and hope. He had so much love for the people he worked with, whether that was his colleagues, his peers or the communities he worked for. He had a strong intuitive knowledge about people. He could read people easily and could empathize with them. He could feel the pain of the people he worked for, and that was his biggest strength. Yet he was most humble and symbolized softness and humility

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JD was from a rural village in Kandhkot, I felt he often felt himself to be not good enough for the modern work environment. He would often joke about his English not being good enough for Engro, often saying to me, that he would fail the Engro english admission test, if he had to give it. I would tell him that this was not important that his wisdom and experience was far more than any language skill. 

But I think he never knew how good he was, how many lives he touched and how many people he inspired. Perhaps that’s where his humility came from, but I wish he could know in his life, how many people learnt from him and looked up to him.

I was supposed to see JD last week, after he came back from Thar,  but we both got busy, rescheduling for the upcoming week. I had wanted advice on the organization I am starting. Never did I think that I would now be going to his funeral.

JD, you will be missed, and always fondly remembered as a mentor, friend and a loving comrade.