Visiting a Charity School

This past week school sessions have ended before the harsh summer climate starts, giving kids relief during the temperature rise. There is a non-profit charitable school on the outskirts of Karachi run by Mr. Mazhar Hani, the dedication this guy shows in unreal he is a construction business man but in the mornings he himself sits in the local school van picks up teachers and students from the city and close by areas. Monitors the situation in the school and after the school timing goes to his office for work. An incredible man indeed, I have known him for the past couple of years through people who give charity to the man and have worked with him in providing quality education to the poor kids. I have also participated in developing the school infrastructure. Last year I had donated classroom chairs and stationary items, bags and books to the students.

The students there are from the poorest families, they are the first generation to actually study in school. The area is near the fish harbor and most families are fishermen but on a very minute scale just catching small amounts of fish by hand nets and either selling them locally or eating the catch themselves. Although the situation is quite bas but the students show a lot of progress this year also I had donated some books and stationaries and so Mr. Mazhar invited me to distribute the prize of the top three students of each class. There are classes from KG-1 till grade 8, the most satisfactory thing is that the syllabus content is up to the mark I mean the course is the same as such of a highly reputable private school. Books are given to the children absolutely free and the school prints them locally with the help of donations. Students hand writing are spectacular even better than myself (I’ve got pretty bad handwriting). Looking at these kids studying and working hard has a feeling like no other.

The school charges the students Rs. 10 monthly which is 0.07 Dollars monthly just so the students don’t think of themselves as freeloaders. The thought never comes to their mind ever. The 8th graders are amazing I was standing outside their classroom and the teacher was lecturing them about Biology and the cell processes of Mitosis and Mycosis. I hate Biology as a subject but the questions the kids were asking were remarkable their interest towards the subject was uncanny. Unfortunately the school is limited till 8th grade but with Mr. Mazhar we will make sure the students who want to study further get that opportunity without any financial strain on them and they just concentrate on their studies.

The best part was that most of the toppers were girls and in a really conservative society such as in poor areas of Pakistan girls are discouraged to be educated in higher standards a really sad reality, but here the higher grades had more girls which was really encouraging. There was even a Skype room where a really noble man from America teaches these students English literature twice weekly this was something amazing the perfect use of technology. A computer lab is also present I mean the school doesn’t look like a charitable institute and seems to be a high reputed school taking hefty fees. The reality is quite different indeed.

It was a day well spent and a pleasant trip, the travel to the school is a headache of 2 hours in crumbling roads but once you see the small kids working hard and striving for success all the frustration vanishes. Hope this generation becomes an inspiration to the many more to come and make basic education their priority. I will keep helping Mr. Mazhar as much as I can and pray that he keeps taking care of these innocent souls in his mission for education.