The HardWorking – Madiha Asif – CEO and Founder Little Explorers Daycare

If there is one life story that teaches us what persistence, perseverance and diligence is about, it’s Madiha’s. Little Explorers would not have been conceived without the lady behind it. A much-needed day care and activity centre, right in the core of DHA, ended up to be a greater accomplishment than foreseen. Little Explorers has made its mark and with a major number of kids in participation.

Be that as it may, as Madiha confided in me, her adventure to where she is today has not been an easy one. It was one long, hard and burdensome adventure to reach where she is right now. As I sat down to hear her story out, it simply influenced me to acknowledge how we as people dependably plan our lives while growing up, yet life has its own plans and diverts every one of us somewhere else.

She experienced childhood in the clamouring city of Dubai, from where she finished her schooling, and headed out to China to seek further education in medicine. “Medicine was something I truly loved, despite the fact that my evaluations were low, yet filling in as a specialist was an immensely enthusiastic experience and truly motivated me.”

She accomplished a noteworthy achievement when she was granted her therapeutic degree. “When I, at last, got my Medical degree, with low evaluations in my entire life and individuals telling me that I am not extremely studious, it was a major thing to at last ace a medical degree,” Madiha recalled her experience.

Then according to her parents wish she got married in a traditional Pakistani wedding and had a beautiful baby girl. And embarked on a journey to be a full-time housewife for a while.

However, upon her return to Dubai with dreams of giving a kick-start to her medicinal career finally, life threw a curveball in her way, in the form of a horrendous fender bender. Recalling the frightful experience, Madiha shared: “I was visiting my parents in Dubai with my little girl. My mom was driving while I was in the rear seat with my little girl resting in my lap. Some vehicle came and collided with us giving us a more prominent push, making us pile onto a tree with a huge crash

My mom, fortunately, sustained minor wounds and my little girl was held by me till the vehicle came to a halt. I, on the other hand, endured a broken hip, the specialists would really call it “a bag of chips,” after taking a gander at the MRIs and X-Rays. Be that as it may, God spared me in unthinkable ways, as no other organ lying alongside the hip was harmed.

In any case, that was not it, I lay on a hospital bed for an entire week in Sharjah, since no specialist had the expertise of fixing a hip and that too with such a significant number of broken pieces. I was given Panadol as a pain relief that just added to my agony, rather than morphine and was moved all over while changing, which was excruciating itself.”

This was the minute that made Madiha pondered on her life, and what her objectives and wants were. When she had to begin her medicinal career, God had another plan for her and she was actually being transported from Dubai to Karachi, to be treated at the renowned Aga Khan doctor’s facility.

She further shared: “I was flown in a plane, where they needed to evacuate three seats, to fit in my stretcher. I was moved from a hospital bed to a stretcher and afterward to a restricted plane stretcher which made my journey more bearable and less agonizing.

The flight was extremely smooth and we securely came to Karachi. Upon reaching Pakistan when the entryways opened, there was no special stretcher accessible to fit in the plane, the rescue vehicle men came in with bits of fabric saying they would need to convey me along these lines as there was no other way that could be available. I had to brief them before they could lift me up, that if my bones moved, the torment was extremely serious and since I was at that point too tired, I didn’t have the strength to endure it any longer. Fortunately, in the wake of having comprehended my predicament, they moved me out of the plane smoothly.

The minute we entered Aga Khan Hospital, I observed the surroundings lying on the stretcher and trust me, it appeared as though I had entered a 5-star lodging with astounding staff to deal with. All the x-rays and tests that were taken were done in an exceptionally cautious way of ensuring that I wouldn’t feel any torment.

Finally, they planned a medical procedure late night and Alhamdulillah it was a success. In any case, my actual journey towards healing was just about to start. It was a long voyage, from physiotherapy and utilizing a walker, and then moving on to a walking stick at last strolling autonomously. My parents, my siblings and my entire khandan (extended family) helped me as much as they could and I believe I wouldn’t have done it without them.”

I have personally witnessed all the struggle Madiha had to go through and what she experienced as she was recuperating, and I can affirm that her strength and resilience were unmatchable. If anything on earth, I would want to draw strength from her. If she can carry on with her existence with tolerance and appreciation, given the badly damaged hips and the torment she endured then certainly I have nothing to whine about.

God works in mysterious ways and she was blessed with a baby boy right after her surgery which was a miracle in itself, and with a toddler and a new-born, it became pretty difficult for her to proceed with her education at that time, thus she redirected her brain to begin a business from home to keep herself occupied. Her acknowledgment and the eureka moment came when she confronted troubles in employing trusted babysitters each time she would make arrangements to go to the film or meals with her husband. “That is the point at which I felt like there ought to be trusted childcare where we could leave our children and get some help. Along these lines, since I didn’t get that help, I felt other mothers ought to have this facility, particularly our working moms, who have no different choices but to leave their children in uneducated hands, abandon them home with them and accept the worst while they work.”

“It was not something that I really wanted to do myself but after having children, I yearned for a place like this to open up, since I never discovered one and on account of my own fallbacks, I ended up having the chance to open it up myself. This is what I would call a surprisingly beneficial turn of events. I found that I was great with children and everybody cherished trusting me with their kids be it family or friends”

Having persevered through troublesome long periods of torment and desolation of therapeutic medical procedures, drugs and recuperating, Madiha had picked up a great deal of understanding into what being patient is about. She used this opportunity to reflect on her life’s needs, and what her calling is. As she coasted out her plan to her dear loved ones, she got mixed reviews. Some debilitated her, asserting it would be a huge obligation to take care of kids, while others urged and pushed her to experience her dreams. Madiha recognized what she needed to do: beat her feelings of trepidation and live her dreams!

“The main uncertainty that I had before starting Little Explorers was of taking up an immense obligation, however since I have medical knowledge and basic life support prerequisites, it was anything but difficult to beat that dread and I surmise this made it simpler for the guardians/parents coming in as well.

The obstacles that I confronted were for the most part with the general population that I needed to procure for setting up the place and making it justified, despite all the trouble. It’s troublesome doing anything here in Pakistan as a lady, they can without much of a stretch, trick you and mislead you in cash dealings. I had to endure misfortune and learned it a hard way how to deal with the frauds and those who misled me. Tragically, nobody is deserving of our trust, they all are extortionists and can easily fool you simply because you don’t realize how something functions. Best arrangement, to learn it yourself first and after that request others to help you.”

With the space at last set up with four rooms, two washrooms, and a kitchen, Little Explorers finally came into being. She got a great deal of consolation, particularly from her parents who had been strong all through, spurring her in all ways that are humanly possible, and even flew in on occasions to take care kids as she worked late hours to build up Little Explorers along with continuing her education.

After opening Little Explorers, she was immersed with the whole more distant family dropping in, disclosing to her how they cherished her endeavour, and even began prescribing their friends children to the daycare. “Actually, they began sharing on their social media pages, and I needed to take a seat and answer to more than 200 individuals, which I wasn’t even dreamt of or in easier words prepared for.”

I asked her to clarify what precisely Little Explorers is about. She joyfully and enthusiastically imparted to me: “Just to let all of you know, we are not an ordinary daycare, we are an activity place for your child that includes Zumba, karate, arts and crafts, sensory play, storytelling, science experiments, junior chef, school readiness and whatnot yet, making them feel at home with freshly prepared food and a comfortable room to nap. A place where they have some good times as well get motherly figures around them. Who understand and go miles to satisfy the children who are not been able to tell what they are going through whether it’s the need to go to the bathroom, vomiting on themselves or simply getting hungry.

We here, thoroughly take care of them like a mother would: preparing them with how to utilize the toilet, to cutting their nails each week to grooming them, we do almost everything to facilitate their moms, so when their parents get an opportunity to see them after a tiring working day, they just invest quality time with them as opposed to agonizing over their own cleanliness or if their hungry. We give a full day meal package from breakfast till milk time in the evening.”

Likewise, with any business, Madiha had her share of hard moments, however, she worked her way through them. One of the hardest things for her was to locate the correct sort of staff, who she could trust, who would learn new abilities to take care of youngsters, to prepare the kids for restroom, to deal with clashes between kids, to crying kids who miss their moms, etc.

She refuted many individuals with her solid feeling of duty and devotion to running Little Explorer. “My younger sibling believes that I couldn’t control my own children so how might I control such a huge number of children. I proved him wrong him by showing how,” Madiha said with a grin. Her own parents think she is doing a beautiful job by taking care of such a large number of kids with affection and care. In the process, she shared how her previous experience of dealing with persistence, has helped her colossally as she manages little kids at the daycare.

“My role models would be the moms who come to my daycare, each one of them had something to teach me or guide me with. Despite everything else they continue offering their insight to me regarding the children and how to enhance their upbringing.” Using the affection and support of different moms and kids, Madiha is centred around bettering her business.

Having said all, business is booming for Little Explorers. Little Explorers is hoping to grow, with many urging them to open up their next branch in Gulberg. Madiha is keeping all her choices open.

Please find Little Explorers on Facebook at Little Explorers Daycare.