Summary Now the owner of a tourism company, Asif Talib has fought long to make his dreams come true
By Wardah Farooqi
For some, dreams are only meant to be longed – something desired but not necessarily achieved. For others, dreams are quite the opposite. For them, dreams are those that are meant to be reality, for only that is how they can truly live a life of contentment.
Such is the story of 24-year-old Asif Talib from Multan.
Talib’s journey of struggle began when he had to abandon his studies after completing middle school in order to support his family financially. “Despite being keen on completing my studies, a constant phase of financial crisis made it something impossible for me at that time. So, all that I could think of was to search for a suitable income to support my family.”
Photo: Asif Talib’s Facebook Page
In his search for a job, the young teenager left his city to try his luck in the heart of Punjab – Lahore. “When I came to Lahore, things were quite different to how I imagined them to be,” recalls Talib. After struggling in the unfamiliar city, he landed his first job - that at a hotel. Although he recalls that for someone like him who had just started his career, that too, at such a young age, the money was decent, his heart lay elsewhere. “I thought of finding something new…something more practical.”
Luckily his savings came to his rescue. “I bought a rickshaw in order to earn an income through driving.” Talib started driving his newly-bought rickshaw near LUMS in Lahore, and before he knew it, he became quite popular among the students. His trustworthiness and his casual demeanor earned him a good repute among the students, most of whom became his regular customers. “It was a good decision to get a rickshaw” recalls Talib. “Because of it I was able to take home a decent amount of money every day.”
But once again, Talib’s thirst for achieving something more kept him up at nights. “I felt my dreams were shattering and that this is not what I wanted to be. The peace of mind I was looking for was nowhere to be found.”
Though what Talib didn’t know was that his dreams were just round the corner.
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Photo: Asif Talib’s Facebook Page
His life turned around when some foreigners visiting the country were referred by some of the students Talib used to take around. “I assisted them for the tour and they even enjoyed my company, so much so that they asked me to join them for a tour to Cholistan which was arranged by someone of the students.”
Apart from the beauty of the Cholistan desert which mesmerized Talib, he was gripped by a strange feeling. “I felt so content and inspired during that tour. And then something clicked.” Talib keenly observed how the tour had been arranged, all the while planning on replicating the idea on his own. Upon his return, he shared the idea with some of the students, now his friends. There was a lot of encouragement and soon he began planning a tour as an organiser to launch his own business.
“I got a lot of assistance from their teachers as well as students in all aspects, which included learning how to speak in English and using social media, along with how to run a business,” shares Talib. Soon a Facebook page advertising his first tour was up. The response was overwhelming for Talib who had 85 people, including foreigners, signed up for his very first tour.
The tour was to Soan Valley in the December of 2014. “It was such a success that it gave me a direction to work. It seemed to be the very thing I was looking for”. With this success ‘Lok Sawaari Adventures’ came into existence. It would later on become Talib’s identity earning him a solid name in the world of tourism.
Things started working his way. “I realised it was that light of hope that had illuminated my life every step of the way,” says Talib. His next big break came when he got to meet Dr. Umer Saif, Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) who showed interest in his project and welcomed him on board PlanX – a startup incubator at the Arfa Kareem Technology Park.
But Lok Sawaari Adventures is not just a tourism company. Talib had a diverse plan associated with the initiative revolving around three basic ideas. The first involved an exchange of cultural and traditional values about various parts of the country for tourists. The plan involved taking on board senior citizens belonging to a specific region who could narrate the historical background of that area so that there was firsthand information by the people who had lived there for decades.
Photo: Asif Talib’s Facebook Page
The second idea was provision of books to tourist spots where children wanted to study but they couldn’t due to lack of finances and access. “I was unable to complete my education and live my dream. So through this initiative I had hoped to let other children live their dreams.”
The third idea was to cleanup tourist spots. The idea came about after visiting and observing tourist spots across the country, says Talib. “People go to these areas but fail to ensure they keep it clean,” he shares adding that not only did it affect the natural beauty of the area but also contributed to environmental pollution. “It was more like an educative aspect of my initiative and every single person in my tours took part in cleaning up these areas which had been made filthy by tourists visiting.”
Today Talib looks back at his journey and there is a sense of immense accomplishment and pride. “I am so glad to be here and so are my parents, who feel honoured due to my achievements.”
But that is not the only driving force. There is a lot of love and affection for the country that motivates Talib to push ahead with his ideas. “We know that people rush abroad for a better lifestyle but my mission is to welcome as many foreign tourists as possible so that they can learn about Pakistan - its beauty, its peaceful people and its rich and diverse culture.”
