Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional Aarifa Karim passes away

By
Hussain
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85
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Arfa Karim, the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), lost the battle of life after remaining admitted at a Lahore hospital on Saturday night.
On December 22, Arfa was admitted to Lahore’s CMH hospital after suffering cardiac arrest. On December 29, doctors said there was no hope for her survival, and that her life support could be switched off ‘at any time’.
However, she had then miraculously responded to certain stimuli, as recently as January 14. Arfa’s father, Amjad Karim Randhawa had said that she had shown the Plantar Reflex when her foot was stimulated. “Her toes curved slightly downward when her foot was tickled,” he said, adding that earlier she had exhibited the Corneal Reflex, whereby her eyes blinked a few times.
Doctors had said that her brain had shown activity over the past four days, making minor improvements.
When Arfa, now 16, was given the title of a Microsoft professional as a young child, she visited the company’s headquarters in the US. When she met Bill Gates himself, she had two questions: Why weren’t children allowed to work for Microsoft, and why such few women worked for the organization.
Her love for technology, however, started long before she was recognised internationally. After discovering computers for the first time at the age of five, she pestered her father for a personal computer, and after that there was no looking back.
Arfa’s father had earlier recalled the year in which his daughter passed the test which enabled her to be declared the youngest professional certified by Microsoft in the world. “When she passed the test at age nine, everyone thought the result was wrong,” he reminisced. She wanted to make software just like Bill Gates, he added. She would say that she wanted to work for children and poor people.
Proudly, he said she came from a ‘low-profile’ family, but she would always say she wanted to study all over the world and then come back to help the people in her village. Her dreams were never for herself alone.
Arfa’s achievements go far beyond recognition from Microsoft alone. The 16-year-old, a student of Lahore Grammar School’s Paragon campus, has represented Pakistan in various international forums. In 2005, the child prodigy received the Fatimah Jinnah Gold Medal from the government as well as the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award. In addition, she has received the president’s award for Pride of Performance, medals from IT professionals around the world, and also became a brand ambassador for PTCL in 2010.
Her talents however, are versatile. Besides excelling in the field of science and technology, Arfa also flew a plane at the age of 10.

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85 COMMENTS

    • when time comes no one can do anything, any reason could be to go from this temporary world to the everlasting world…we just need to educate our self and start to prepare for the last place in this world that would be in GRAVEYARD….WE NEED TO PRAY AND ONLY FOR HER AND HER REST OF THE FAMILY…jazkallaha khairun kaseerun

  14. Inna lilla hi wa inna ilaihi rajeoon. May the Almighty grant her a place in Jannat-ul-firdaus and bless her family & friends with sabr and strength.

  46. إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
    May Allah Subhan wa Tala rest her soul in peace and give courage and strength to her family to bear this unrecoverable loss. She was really a wonderful girl and an asset for our nation.

    Ghufran
    email: [email protected]

  51. I can't stop my tears since i heard this news, what a brilliant child she was, pride of pakistan, made us so proud and left us so early ………. :'(

  59. Inna Lillahe Wa Inna Lillahe Rajeon. ALLMIGHTY ALLAH loves her more than we do. Colonel (Retd) Amjad Karim Randhawa and Mrs. Randhawa and family, your pain and loss is understandable and we share it but bear it with patience and fortitude. Please remember again that ALLMIGHTY ALLAH loves her more than Pakistan does and the rest of the world. Please accept my Salam.

  67. It's really a great loss not only to the family but to the whole nation which got deprived of a such a wonderful and genius soul. God bless her

  71. نَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

    my daughter i am proud of you like your own parents are. May God bless your soul live with eternal peace and give your a strength to bear this loss. you were great I salute you and wish my country's all children bear a lesson from your achievements which are the hallmarks

  73. I am so very sorry for the loss of Arfa, and am keeping you, family and friends in prayers…Know you were very proud of her, and she was a great testimony to all the ones who will come after her…

  75. Its hard to believe that Arfa passes away but she will always remain in our hearts and mind . She was the our youngest living legend , It is said that good people leave usually this world very early and she left us accordingly, however I pray for her with core of my heart that Our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W will receive this flower in heavens and she will be welcomed by all other bright stars …

  80. َﻥﻮﻌِﺟﺍَﺭ ِﻪْﻴَﻟِﺇ ﺎـَّﻧِﺇَﻭ ِﻪّﻠِﻟ ﺎَّﻧِﺇ
    this lose never ever recover

  81. yes of course , she was awesome and she was too nyc . a loss which can be recovered but not like not like her , she was truly a genius and her dreams for PAKISTAN will be complete inshallah .

  82. the only thing is that she was intrested in technology and science. but now all the kids are just intrested in games , chatting and mobiles thats why we are left behind otherwise v can also dis i know its hard but v have to try . thats our mistake but the different thing in her was that her kindness her intrest and it was a gift from god to arfa that only few peoples have ? am i right or wrong tell me plz .

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