MITHI, Sindh: The Thar Desert in Pakistan, which mostly remains in the news due to extreme human suffering caused by droughts, poverty and unemployment, may come to be the next hub of information technology in the country due to an inspiring young man who has connected its population to the global online market.
Pardeep Meghwar, who comes from a lower middle-class family, opened a software house, iSKILLERS, in Mithi, the main town in impoverished Tharparkar district predominantly inhabited by the Hindu community, in October 2020, which he also used to acquaint local residents with computer technology.
Pardeep Meghwar, founder of iSKILLERS software house, can be seen at his office in Mithi, Pakistan, on May 25, 2022. (AN photo by Zulfiqar Kunbhar)
The 36-year-old IT consultant and freelancing software developer has since registered nearly 150 students, including girls, who have transformed the facility into a thriving seminary for technology enthusiasts.
“Our first batch [of students] graduated in October 2021,” Meghwar told Arab News in a recent interview at his office. “Twelve of them have been earning through online freelancing. They have been making between $500 and $2,000.”
The software house offers certification in web designing and development, WordPress customization, graphics, digital marketing and mobile app development.
“Some students have earned $100 from their very first order,” he continued. “In Pakistan, fresh university graduates earn about $200 monthly. This means that our students can make the same amount by working on two lucrative orders.”
Pardeep Meghwar poses with his students at his software house in Mithi, Pakistan, on May 25, 2022. (AN photo by Zulfiqar Kunbhar)
Meghwar started developing his IT skills while he was still going to school.
“In 2002, when I was in class nine, my father, who was a clerk, got a computer for me on loan,” he said. “In the beginning, I started fixing small computer-related problems in my neighborhood to earn some money.”
However, his passion for technology ultimately helped him earn his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
Meghwar won the prime minister’s excellence award last year before his name was listed by Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) among the country’s “top hundred extraordinary freelancers” in June 2021.
He said that people of his region had been living a tough life since there were few livelihood opportunities, adding that online freelancing had been a ray of hope to young residents, particularly girls, who were now making a decent living while working from home.
“My aim is to empower the youth in this desert region,” he said. “Online freelancing youth can earn financial freedom by utilizing modern technological tools.”
Two certified online freelancers Mukesh Chandani (left) and Dewan Suthar (right) pose with their laptops in the desert in Mithi, Pakistan, on May 26, 2022. (AN photo by Zulfiqar Kunbhar)
Mukesh Chandani, an 18-year-old intermediate student who lives on the outskirts of Mithi, did a four-month certification course in WordPress customization and got his first online assignment nearly two weeks after completing the training program.
“My first order helped me earn $30,” he said. “I have worked on 20 orders until now and earned over $1,000.”
However, some students also complained of poor internet connectivity in the area.
“If you climb on sand dunes at night in the area where I live, you begin to get stronger internet signals,” said 24-year-old Dewan Suthar. “Some of my friends who have developed online freelancing skills have shifted to Hyderabad due to the connectivity issues at home. The good thing is that they are earning from there.”
Devi Khatri, who holds a postgraduate degree in English, said she had started learning web development from iSKILLERS.
“At present, I am teaching at an institute,” said the 25-year-old resident of Mithi. “However, I am now doing this freelancing course since I am interested in building my career in this field to increase my earning.”
Danish Raz, a trainer at iSKILLERS, is giving a lecture at the software development facility in Mithi, Pakistan, on May 25, 2022. (AN photo by Zulfiqar Kunbhar)
Danish Raz, who was born and brought up in Thar region, returned to his hometown from Islamabad, where he worked as a freelancer for several years, on Meghwar’s request. He now teaches WordPress at iSKILLERS.
Meghwar himself gave up his small IT firm which he managed in Dubai for about three years to return to Pakistan.
Raz described his friend’s efforts as “revolutionary,” saying there was no trend of online freelancing in his native town until Meghwar took the initiative to bring about a change.
“Friends have started calling Pardeep Mark Zuckerberg of the desert,” he smiled. “The title may also bring the attention of the rest of the country to this region someday.”
