Arfa Karim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arfa Karim
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| عرفہ کریم | |
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| Born |
Arfa Abdul Karim Randhawa
2 February 1995 Faisalabad, Pakistan
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| Died | 14 January 2012 (aged 16) Combined Military Hospital Lahore, Pakistan
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| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest, Epileptic Seizure |
| Resting place | Chak No. 4JB, Ram Diwali, Faisalabad |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Alma mater | Lahore Grammar School |
| Occupation | Student |
| Years active | 1995–2012 |
| Known for | World's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional, 2004–2008 |
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Arfa Abdul Karim Randhawa (Punjabi: عرفہ کریم رندھاوا; 2 February 1995 – 14 January 2012) was a very smart Pakistani student who was amazing with computers. She became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in 2004. Being an MCP means you've passed special tests to show you're an expert in Microsoft computer programs.
Arfa was so good that she was even put in the Guinness World Records for her achievement. She held this title until 2008. Arfa also got to represent Pakistan at big international computer events, like the TechEd Developers Conference. In 2005, she received Pakistan's highest award, the Presidential Pride of Performance, from General Pervez Musharraf. A special building for technology in Lahore, called the Arfa Software Technology Park, is named after her. When she was just 10 years old, Bill Gates, who started Microsoft, invited her to visit Microsoft's main office in the United States. Sadly, Arfa passed away on 14 January 2012, at the age of 16, because her heart stopped.
Contents
Arfa's Early Life and Career
Her Early Life
Arfa Randhawa was born in a family from Ram Diwali in Faisalabad District, Punjab, Pakistan.
Amazing Achievements
After visiting the Microsoft headquarters, Arfa gave many interviews on TV and in newspapers. S. Somasegar, a vice president at Microsoft, even wrote about her in his blog. On 2 August 2005, Arfa received the Fatimah Jinnah Gold Medal for her work in Science and Technology. The prime minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, gave her this award. She also received the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award in August 2005 from the president of Pakistan.
Arfa received the President's Award for Pride of Performance in 2005. This is a special award usually given to people who have done amazing things in their fields for a long time. Arfa was the youngest person ever to receive this award. In January 2010, she became a special helper for Pakistan Telecommunication Company's fast internet service, "EVO."
Representing Pakistan
When Arfa came back from the US, she became a hero in Pakistan. She was interviewed by many TV channels and invited to several big international meetings. She also received awards from the president and prime minister of Pakistan. In 2006, Microsoft asked her to be a main speaker at the Tech-Ed developers conference in Barcelona.
Arfa represented Pakistan at many international events. The Pakistan Information Technology Professionals Forum invited her to stay in Dubai for two weeks. There, a special dinner was held in her honor, and important people, including Pakistan's Ambassador, attended. She received many awards and gifts, including a laptop. In November 2006, Arfa went to the Tech-Ed Developers conference after Microsoft invited her. She was the only Pakistani among more than 5000 computer experts at that conference.
Arfa's Final Days
In 2011, Arfa Randhawa was studying at the Lahore Grammar School. On 22 December 2011, she had a medical emergency where her heart stopped after a sudden brain event. This caused damage to her brain, and she was taken to Lahore's Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in a very serious condition.
On 9 January 2012, Bill Gates, the head of Microsoft, contacted Arfa's parents. He asked her doctors to do everything possible to help her. Bill Gates even put together a special team of international doctors. These doctors talked with Arfa's local doctors through video calls to help figure out and treat her illness. Her local doctors decided it was too risky to move Arfa to another hospital because she was on a machine to help her breathe and was in a very serious state. Arfa's family thanked Bill Gates for offering to pay for her medical care.
Arfa started to get a little better on 13 January 2012, and parts of her brain began to show signs of healing. Her father, Amjad Abdul Karim Randhawa, said that Microsoft had talked about flying her to the United States for more treatment.
Sadly, Arfa passed away at a hospital in Lahore on 14 January 2012, when she was 16 years old. Her funeral was held the next day, and the Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, attended. She was buried in her family's village, Chak No. 4JB Ram Diwali, near Faisalabad.
Arfa Software Technology Park
The Arfa Software Technology Park is the biggest Information and Communications Technology Park in Pakistan. It is located in Lahore. This seventeen-story building is the first modern, international-standard facility of its kind in Pakistan. The project was first called "Lahore Technology Park." But on 15 January 2012, it was renamed "Arfa Software Technology Park" by Shahbaz Sharif to honor Arfa.
See also
In Spanish: Arfa Karim para niños
