“I have a vision to establish livestock rearing, making projects for poverty alleviation a part of girls’ education while giving them practical experience at our cow farm.”
As Assistant Director at Samuel Memorial Foundation, Noyan Sohail is responsible for maintenance and farm management at Sanbhal Girls High School in Khanewal District in Southern Punjab. The school offers free education to village girls and adds vocational training in sewing and knitting after Grade 5. In this rural area, poor families are bonded laborers, working land owned by rich landlords. Challenges in Noyan’s community are gender inequality, water scarcity, land disputes, and religious and political tensions.
Noyan’s leadership skills have been strengthened during three years at Samuel Memorial, where he believes education is the key to overcoming poverty, and engages in daily conversations to seek resolutions to village problems. Ethical decision making, trustworthiness, and a positive workplace culture are among his values. He is self-motivated, persistent, and loves to help others. Inspired by his father’s example to walk with Christ, Noyan’s passion is to work for his community.
At ARI, Noyan wants to learn resource management skills, effective farming techniques, and appropriate technology for underdeveloped communities. He hopes to be able to analyze the issues of his community more effectively and also add goats to the school’s livestock. Noyan is eager to share about his ministry work and culture.
Sending Body:
The Samuel Memorial Foundation was founded in 2004 by Noyan’s father, Sohail Samuel Naseem, in honor of Samuel Naseem, a 1977 ARI graduate. Through its Sanbhal Girls High School project, SMF focuses on the empowerment of underprivileged rural girls, without discrimination. It believes that as future mothers, educated girls will educate their families and thus effect change in society. The school plans to add animal raising and vegetable growing to its curriculum to give girls the skills to combat malnutrition. Through ARI training, SMF is preparing Noyan to be its future director and lead its child-focused community development plan.
