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School named in honour of mother

1/ 2/2008

RETIRED Rochdale Council council training officer Ghulam Rasul Shahzad has set up a sewing school in Pakistan in memory of his late mother.

He wants to try to help thousands of women learn new skills and earn money for their families.

Mr Shahzad established the Hussain Bibi Memorial Sewing School for Women with the financial support of local organisations in Lahore.

He named the school in honour of his late mother, who lived in Rochdale for two years before her death in 2005.

Women will be able to learn and develop their sewing skills, as well as being taught IT, basic literacy and numeracy, and spoken English by professional tutors.

Those who attend the school will also be given a sewing machine so they can make and sell their own clothes.

The opening ceremony was performed by Sheikh Rohail Asghar, an ex-member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and a candidate for the forthcoming Pakistan general election.

Mr Shahzad hopes the school will make a difference to the lives of some of the poorest women in Ghazi Abad, one of the most deprived parts of the city.

He said: "Because of a lack of education, qualification, skills and experience, the majority of women stay at home looking after their children and older people in their families.

"They cannot get or apply for jobs because of various reasons.

"This allows them the opportunity to contribute financially and academically without the need to go to work and leave their children and families behind.

"There will be three classes in a day and they can attend the class which suits them."