Samirah took a suitcase all the way to Pakistan, summing it up nicely with “Spread love and goodness worldwise, one suitcase at a time!” Thank you so much Samirah! <3
“On my last trip to Pakistan this April 2017, I had the pleasure of transporting my very first Not Just Tourists suitcase of medical supplies.
I was hesitant at first as the organization had no experience with serving Pakistan. I was concerned about how customs may perceive a suitcase full of medical supplies and I feared having to give it up as a result. Fortunately, this was not an issue.
Once settled in Pakistan, I was then faced with the task of finding an appropriate clinic or hospital that I could trust. Trust in the sense that I would feel confident that the medical supplies being donated would be used without any cost to the patients in need. With the help of my family, we discovered the Medical Society Welfare Free Clinic (Free Dispensary), located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is a small clinic whose aim is to provide free healthcare to those in need, inclusive of women and paediatric patients.
The clinic is run and supervised by the very kind Dr. Zahida Nawaz. Dr. Zahida is a general physician and gynecologist at the local hospital, however, she generously spends some of her off hours working at the Welfare Free Clinic. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to meet such a compassionate individual to whom I was able to donate these medical supplies to as a way of showing my support and appreciation for her generous work. I hope she will continue to receive the support she needs and I thank her and Mr. Hussain for the great hospitality they showed my family and I.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience volunteering for Not Just Tourists Toronto and I highly recommend anyone traveling abroad to consider taking a suitcase. It is really easy, a lot of fun, and certainly rewarding! A little help goes a long way. Spread love and goodness worldwide, one suitcase at a time! -Samirah”
