Islamabad: Wenny Lekardal had perhaps never thought she would spend 37 years away from Sweden serving Pakistani slum dwellers, mostly Christian and the Muslim communities doing odd jobs in Rawalpindi, Sahiwal and Taxila, three major cities of the Punjab province.
In recognition of her services to the local communities in health sector, Pakistan government has announced the Pride of Performance award for her.
President Arif Alvi will present Lekardal the coveted decoration on the country’s national day on March 23 in a ceremony at the President House.
While sharing her feelings at the Pakistan government’s decision to select her for the award, Lekardal - who has arrived from Sweden to receive the honour - told Gulf News she was happy to be recognized by the country that is like second home to her.
“My additional joy is I am perhaps the first Sweden national to be nominated for this recognition”, said Lekardal.
“I knew one day I would leave my country and spend life somewhere in distant lands. Then one day, while seeing the world map my eyes were fixed on Pakistan and instantly I realized I am destined to go there,” said she.
Local church
It was late 1969 when she arrived in Rawalpindi and joined the community service of a local church.
For seven years, she served families of local sanitary workers in a slum area of Lal Kurti.
“We ran vaccination drives there, helped and trained local health workers and worked among the pregnant women, children and mothers,” she said.
“Those were the days no one had heard about EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunization) or polio vaccination, etc. We ran it all by ourselves with support of local health departments”, she continued.
During her field surveys in the immunization drive, she chanced to visit places as far and remote as Jampur and Swat.
After seven years of service in garrison city of Rawalpindi, she was transferred to Sahiwal where TB patients, pregnant women and malnourished children were waiting for some God-sent help and got they it in her.
In order to learn about the local communities and their problems she even learnt to speak Urdu and then Punjabi.
Love of Urdu
Interestingly, her love affair with Urdu continues and in Stockholm she is providing Urdu translation service to the Pakistani communities. She is also engaged in a number of translation works.
Her last assignment was Taxila’s Christian Hospital in 1981 where she worked till her retirement in 2007.
When asked how she felt working in Pakistan she said never in her 37 and a half years career she felt any issue regarding security or being among strange people.
During her stay in these cities, she trained several nurses in advanced nursing course and empowered them to live independent life.
She plans to wear Pakistan’s traditional shalwar kameez on March 23 to make the day memorable.
“I would also do a little bit shopping and meet my Pakistani friends during my brief stay in Pakistan”, she said.
