“Saving the life of one human being is like saving the whole of humanity. I truly believe in this and that’s why I do what I do.”
Based in Yorkshire, Bushra Sheikh is a civil servant working with the Ministry of Justice. In Ramadan 2016, Bushra raised £3,600 for IKCA’s feed a cancer patient appeal. Her very first fundraising initiative for IKCA was in the mid 90s, when Imran Khan first launched the global campaign to build Shaukat Khanum Hospital (SKMCH) in Lahore.
“At the time, I had no idea how to raise money” Bushra recalls, “The IKCA office was in London and communication with the administrator was difficult. All I knew was that I needed to play my part in this very worthy cause: so that Pakistan would get a specialised caner hospital where the poor could receive treatment with dignity.”
So Bushra took a pledge to not eat or drink for 24 hours. At the end of her fast, she was able to raise £450 towards the hospital, as well as a great deal of awareness about cancer and the plight of the poor in Pakistan. Since then, Bushra has dedicated her life to charity work, and endeavoured to spread the philanthropic spirit amongst friends and family.
“I have since raised a lot of money through organising social events like coffee mornings and small scale charity dinners. I’ve also taken part in numerous 5k walks and runs; telethons; as well as bucket collections and leaflet distributions outside shopping centres.” When asked how much she’s raised for IKCA in 20 years of dedicated volunteer work, she can’t say. “I’ve never kept a record,” is her response. “But I know that in the last 12 months, I’ve raised around £10,000 –Alhamdulillah. It was all possible with the will and help of Allah (swt).”
In recognition of her work and her philanthropic endeavours in aid of several charities (including Cancer Research UK), Bushra was awarded an MBE not long ago. The mother of two is grateful for the support of her loving husband and children, who have always stood by her efforts.
“I strongly encourage people to be become volunteers with IKCA and take part in this very worthwhile cause. Saving the life of one human being is like saving the whole of humanity. I truly believe in this and that’s why I do what I do.”
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