Will the ‘son of Hakimwala’ get a new car for his village?

LAHORE (Staff Report) - A documentary maker has appealed the donors for funds to buy a new car for a village in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab.

The filmmaker who follows the journey of a young man from the same village from Dubai and back to his village in Hakimwala, Muzaffargarh has set a fundraiser campaign to buy a new car.

Muhammad Sharif, 28, hails from the remote village of Hakimwala, where farmers battle a deadly pest that is ruining their cotton crops. Many find it difficult to afford the pesticide and face mounting debts.

But with the infestation of his cotton crops and rising debts, Sharif decided it was time to seek his fortune elsewhere. He decided to go to Dubai despite warnings from his friends.

Sharif's elders encouraged him to travel abroad to earn better pay and help lift the village out of poverty.

Sharif, who is the only son, used to drive the only car in the village to take the sick to the city hospital three hours away.

But Sharif was unable to settle in Dubai after spending only four months and planned to return to his village.

The panchayat (tribal court) of Hakimwala village sold a Suzuki Mehran car to pay for Sharif's return trip from Dubai.

The village is now suffering and has no means of paying for a new car.

The filmmaker Syed Owais Ali has appealed to the donors for funds to buy him a new car for Hakimwala village.

He said that “once we raise enough money, I will go to Pakistan, buy the car under the panchayat leader's name and deliver it myself. I will film all of this for transparency, as well as to record a message from the village for all of those who donate.”

The documentary maker has set a goal to collect $8000 and 145 donors have donated $8,380 so far.

Now the funding goal has been met and people are waiting for the next episode.

For documentary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwLgLDOVJdQ

Youcaring crowdfunding: www.youcaring.com/hakimwala-village-561591