Proud Chef – Athar K’s Story

My name is Athar K. I was born in 1996 in Islamabad. When I came into this world, I had no idea what tests awaited me. My life has been a journey filled with struggles. My father migrated from Afghanistan in 1982 and started working as a laborer. We have been living in informal settlements in Islamabad, and even today, we remain among the people who have no permanent place to call home. I have ten siblings. I am the fourth among them, three older brothers, one younger brother, and five sisters, of whom three are already married.

In 2007, I got admission to Pehli Kiran School No.8 (PKS-8), where I first experienced the joy and gift of education. I still remember the day when I was sitting tired on a footpath in F-10 after a long day. A kind man named Sir Ghazanfar approached me and asked, “What do you do?” I told him about my daily routine. He gently placed his hand on my shoulder and asked, “Do you want to study?” That was the moment my educational journey began. I studied at PKS-8 through 5th grade. All my siblings also completed their primary education at PKS-8. After primary school, I continued my studies in 6th grade at a government school in Golra. But then the year 2012 brought even more hardships into our lives.

My father was getting old and slowing down. As one of the elder siblings, I had to step up and help the family earn a livelihood. This meant dropping out of school and looking for work. It was during this time that I discovered my true passion. I had always loved food, right from the time I was at PKS-8 where we regularly received meals or fruit supplements to enhance our nutrition. Pehli Kiran helped shape me into a literate, resolute and well-rounded teenager.

My elder brother was already working at a restaurant in Islamabad, so I also found my way into this field. I started working at a catering shop that prepared large-scale food orders. I kept learning on the job, and my curiosity helped me explore and grow. Over time, I gained enough skills and experience to be able to say with pride that I had worked at learned from some of the leading restaurants in Islamabad. I worked at Steak House (Jinnah Super), Monal, La Montana, and Cave Restaurant (F-9).

Some years later, when I felt ready to start something of my own, I partnered with someone and launched my own catering business. Today, two of my brothers are working with me in this business, while two others work at restaurants. As a way of giving back, over the past 3 years, I have also been working as cook at the central kitchen at PKS-8 where a Pehli Kiran partner, the Empower Foundation, is preparing and distributing free school meals for over 1000 Pehli Kiran students.

My journey was not easy, as I faced many struggles, sacrifices, and moments of self-doubt. But when I look back, I can see how every hardship that I endured and overcame shaped me and led me to where I have reached today. From a young boy sitting on a footpath tired and unsure of his future, to a young man running his own business, I have indeed come a long way. And I feel this is just the beginning.