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Students honour classmate with garden

By: Lindor Reynolds

Posted: 05/24/2012 10:48 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 05/24/2012 2:21 PM | Updates

Home Depot volunteer Rosanne Joseph gives a flower to Annelies Koch-Schulte to plant in the Fayza Peyawary Sadiq Memorial Garden in front of Forest Park Community School Thursday. Fayza was the nine-year-old who died in a house fire in January. Smoke inhalation claimed the lives of her mother, grandmother and two younger sisters. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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A display in honour of former student Fayza Peyawary in the Forest Park Community School. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Young students at Forest Park School memorialized a late classmate this morning as they planted the Fayza Peyawary Sadiq Memorial Garden.

The nine-year-old died in a house fire in January. Smoke inhalation claimed the lives of her mother, grandmother and two younger sisters.

Father Hamid Farooq, the only surviving member of the family, was at the school, watching a team from Home Depot cut sod for the garden.

He was the picture of sorrow.

"I am very grateful for your kindness and your remembering of my daughter in such a wonderful way," he said in remarks read by a friend. "As the flowers will bloom we will remember Fayza’s beautiful smile and friendly personality."

His shoulders were slumped. He left shortly after the work began.

The garden came about after students in Grade 3 teacher Jane Pogson’s class decided it would be a good way to remember their friend. They brainstormed about who could help with the project. One rainy March day they walked to a nearby Home Depot and presented their request.

They got a yes, $5,000 in supplies and 20 volunteers to help with setting up the garden. The volunteers were laying brick edging early Thursday morning.

Grade 4 teacher Laya Kneller says the garden will help the school heal.

"To be honest there has not been a day she has not been in my heart," Kneller said. "We’re doing something to remember her in perpetuity."

Two benches now sit outside the Grade 3 and 4 classroom windows.

There’s a memorial case for Fayza inside the school, decorated with paper hearts and butterflies. A tall whiteboard still bears the messages written the day after she died.

"You were a good kid and it is sad for you to be gone," wrote Brayden.

The garden won’t ease Hamid Farooq’s suffering but it’s another reminder his beautiful daughter hasn’t been forgotten. Fayza’s classmates have found an enduring way to remember her with their beautiful purple flowers, the little girl’s favorite.

lindor.reynolds@freepress.mb.ca

History

Updated on Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 11:36 AM CDT: Adds photo, corrects spelling error.

1:19 PM: updates with new photos

2:21 PM: corrects number of younger siblings

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