Syeda Ghulam Fatima, one of the finalists of the inaugural Aurora Prize, arrived in Yerevan on April 22. According to Syeda, this trip changed her life. "After I went to Armenia, I feel braver and stronger to continue my fight," she says. Syeda, a warm-hearted woman with wise eyes and a tender embrace, has saved countless lives and reunited thousands of families. She began her struggle more than 35 years ago. "I witnessed the humiliation suffered by people in my country. They are stripped of their rights and forced to live in inhumane conditions," she says of the Pakistanis who live in debt-bondage and slave away at brick kilns. 

Syeda was deeply moved by the work carried out by the Aurora Prize team: "You are motivated by human values, and when you willingly get involved, with your heart and your soul, your values shine through. Money has nothing to do with this," she says, adding: "We are delighted with Armenia. You are doing an admirable job and your values are deeply attached to this nation, which has suffered so much."

Yerevan was in bloom and lavishly decorated for the first-ever Aurora Prize Ceremony, which took place on April 24 – the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. In the morning, the four Aurora Prize finalists came to the Tsitsernakaberd hill Memorial for victims of the 1915 Genocide to participate in the official commemoration ceremony. Together with Armenia’s President Serge Sargsyan, they laid flowers by the eternal flame.

The quiet sound of the duduk coming through the loudspeakers, the scent of millions of flowers and the soul-soothing breeze brought the attendees to tears. "I was touched and very moved by the visit to Tsitsernakaberd. It also made me sad, but I tried to think positive thoughts: these victims suffered, but their people and their nation go on. They did not die in vain and they will never be forgotten. That is why I could not speak very well during the Aurora Prize ceremony – it was a very touching experience. This is also why I asked the audience to stand for a minute of silence during the ceremony: that came out straight from my heart. It was for them," says Syeda, fighting back tears.

"People who sacrifice themselves never die" 

The inaugural award ceremony of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity took place the same evening at the Karen Demirchyan Complex. The event concluded with the announcement of the prize’s first laureate: Marguerite Barankitse of Maison Shalom and Rema Hospital in Burundi. "To be honest, I went there without much expectation. Because you are already doing a lot, you are doing what I most like, and therefore there is no difference between us. So it does not matter who became the laureate, I think that I became one too. Mankind received this award, it is not a personal matter," says Syeda.

When Syeda arrived in Yerevan, she was amazed by how the city prepared for the ceremony: seeing the faces of the people she saved up on billboards around town made her particularly emotional. The day after the ceremony, Syeda and her companions went out to lunch, but a walk along Abovyan up to Amiryan Street, which usually takes no more than 10 minutes, took them more than 40. People recognized Syeda on the street and approached to greet and thank her. "Thank you for everything you are doing for humanity," said a young woman. "Your work is admirable, you have great strength," said another lady. With every step Syeda took, her efforts and sacrifice received further recognition. 

She was also particularly curious about the construction of Yerevan’s Republic Square and asked a pointed question: "What is the pink color of the buildings, what kind of bricks are those?"

Her life for her people

Pakistan is one of the leading producers of bricks in the world. Brick kiln owners take advantage of the difficult social situation Pakistani people face: more than 21 percent of the country’s population live below the poverty line and are forced to borrow money in order to survive. As a result of sky-high interest rates, these people – and entire families – are doomed to a lifetime of work in horrific conditions, caught in a vicious cycle of accumulating debt that can never be fully repaid.

Some two million people in Pakistan are victims of forced labor. The Bonded Labour Liberation Front, the organization Syeda leads, has rescued thousands of people, including children, from slavery. Syeda works to restore the former slaves’ dignity and to empower them through education. "Education is essential, it is the basis for all societies. And I'm not talking about learning math, I'm talking about values," she argues. Former slaves are given special care and legal advice at the organization’s Freedom Centers. "We teach them about their rights, so they can fight for them. It's important to learn first, and then to act," says Syeda. 

Her work is not easy. Together with other members of her organization, Syeda lives in permanent danger and under constant threat. She has been beaten repeatedly and even shot, resulting in trauma that manifests itself in her limp and slow walking pace. But it will take much more to scare Syeda and force her to give up her fight: "There is much work to do and many families to be freed. My people need me, I cannot leave them alone," she says. 

Syeda’s example is living proof that the civilian population must become aware of its potential and that every grain of sand, however tiny, counts when it comes to saving lives. "After this trip I feel more committed, more passionate. Sometimes, I feel that I do not do things the right way and I get disappointed. But after being in Armenia, I think change is possible. I am more confident and I believe much more in the power of values," says Syeda. "Societies that survive are those that have respect, the courage to live, to help and to care. These practices make us human."