Murk Larik belongs to a rural area in Larkana. She spent her formative years under the care of her grandparents. After her grandfather’s retirement, she relocated to Hyderabad with her parents. From a very young age, she was a passionate person. She demonstrated a fervent dedication to her studies and had big dreams.

Many dreams need peace of mind for their fulfilment. The toxic environment at her home snatched away her peace and several dreams. Domestic violence was a constant, reaching a level where attempts were made to burn them alive. Then came a day when she, her mother and siblings were thrown out of their home.

They stayed at their grandmother’s house in Larkana. However, narrow-mindedness of some relatives and attempts at emotional abuse worsened the situation.

Murk returned to Hyderabad to look for a job to provide a better future for her mother and other siblings. With just Rs 1,500 in her pocket and possessing an intermediate diploma, she reached Hyderabad. For 12 days, she had no place to live except public parks and nothing to eat but leftovers. One day, an economics professor at Sindh University helped get her a cot at Marvi Hostel.

Despite the struggles and challenges she faced on an empty stomach, she got a job as a desk officer at an academy with an initial pay of Rs 3,000. After two months, she rented a room in an underprivileged area and brought her mother and siblings to Hyderabad. She became the sole breadwinner for the seven-member family, working three shifts to feed the family, educate her siblings and pay the bills. In 2016, she graduated with a degree in business administration and joined the Education Department for its Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme (BBSYDP) as a monitoring officer. She had to walk 3 kilometres to work and starve to save money for other expenses of her house. At that time, financial conditions were not favourable. She worked various shifts to make ends meet.

With spirit and hard work, she entered professional life. She developed curricula for several trades for the initiative. Murk also worked in the Basic Education Foundation Programme and led monitoring and evaluation activities in the Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah) district. From her extensive M&E activities, she submitted recommendations and improvement models to various departments at all levels. Soon afterwards, she got her next assignment at the Health Department where she looked after ophthalmic projects in various districts of Sindh. During her tenure as a project coordinator, she worked extensively on the prevention and eradication of trachoma (an irreversible blindness-causing disease) in the Kambher Shahdadkot district.

The district had previously been placed on high alert by the World Health Organisation due to the high prevalence of trachoma. She gave great importance to an accessible and inclusive healthcare system. In many districts, accessibility audits were carried out in public hospitals. With the support of some international donors, the audited hospitals were made more accessible. Accessible wash facilities were also constructed in 400 primary schools in Qamber Shahdadkot. To raise WASH awareness at all levels, Murk developed jingles for school children and telefilms and short videos for the community.

Her efforts were recognised through an international award by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Through her efforts, thousands of infected people were saved from blindness and other diseases. Healthcare services were digitised with the introduction of Tele-Trachoma during the Covid pandemic.

However, this growth and success came at the price of workplace harassment. After refusing to participate in corruption and nepotism, she was mentally tortured and harassed for three years. No relief was forthcoming despite complaints to seniors. Surviving that toxic workplace, she left the job. Her mental health was sabotaged. She took a career break.

After a few months, she received an offer from a multinational company for a national-level position. She expanded her horizon to rendering services for the prevention and control of diabetes and cancer. She has been working to introduce cost-sharing and localisation models to ensure quality and affordable healthcare access to grassroots communities nationwide.

Murk Larik represented Pakistan’s healthcare system at DUPHAT 2023, UAE, and garnered partnerships with several international pharmaceutical companies. Her passion for climate change and health nexus has bestowed upon her several international fellowships and certifications. She has developed her expertise in climate justice and governance with fellowships and international certification.

She founded a charity startup, ECO-DRIVEN, to fight against single-use plastic and introduce sustainable ways of living. Larik introduced a wide range of sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic. The profit generated from selling those items is being donated to various charity causes. Her climate dictionary is scheduled to be launched soon. She is also rendering consultative services for the Just Energy Transition Initiative in Sindh. Innovative initiatives like District and Provincial Just Energy Transition Alliances and Just Energy Transition (JET) Café are a few of them. She is garnering support for the government in conducting a series of research on green energy and conducting a gap analysis of existing renewable energy policies and frameworks. She is currently pursuing further studies in public policy (energy, economics and environment).

Murk is proof that vision and hard work can make one achieve one’s goals. Through her determined efforts, she made history and underwent significant personal development while contributing to the welfare of others. Starting her journey as a desk officer, she has now, after a decade, become the country lead of a multinational company, a climate change consultant and an eco-preneur. The amount of hard work, dedication and resilience she exhibited during that decade is commendable. However, no amount of effort can entirely heal the wounded spirit of such women.

Murk has achieved her dreams and is now striving for more development. Another success story emerges, depicting the courageous journey of a daughter of Sindh. Undoubtedly, a person is shaped by their hardships and challenging times. This does not mean that the society should subject our hardworking women, who strive to acquire education and support their families, to additional difficulties.

In rural areas, very few girls succeed despite the tough circumstances. Murk, a girl from such a background, is one of the rare success stories. She faced difficulties but found her way through. Now she wants to help other girls in Sindh succeed too. Her focus is on supporting girls. When she looks at other girls, she sees herself in their struggles, and she’s determined to assist each one of them.

She has shifted permanently to the development sector to help marginalised people in Sindh. She is working hard, especially in tackling climate change through renewable energy.

It’s important to appreciate role models like Murk. Their efforts can inspire others. Their stories should be highlighted to encourage those facing similar journeys.

The writer is based in Umerkot. He has more than 13 years of experience in the development sector. He can be reached at shewaram@live.com