A place of hope amidst despair

Rawalpindi

While the state of education in Pakistan is not something to be proud of, what we can be proud of are the many dedicated persons who have established schools to educate the underprivileged children of the country. Every effort counts and should be acknowledged.

Tucked away in the outskirts of a small subdivision of Rawalpindi known as Gulistan Colony – situated behind the famous Ayub Park — Qalam School is located at house opposite Old Burf Khana (near Gulistan Akbar Main Gate). This area was chosen by the school trustees due to the presence of camp dwellings in the vicinity, expecting to take in children from here and neighbouring communities. The school is in a rented property and plans to move to its own building as soon as it can manage to do so.

Qalam — ‘Pen’ in Urdu — school gives these neglected children hope for a better future and offers them a cleaner and caring environment. At present the school is imparting education to 75 children free of tuition cost and all incidental charges. Students belong to poor subsistence families where no adult is educated. Typically, if there was no school, parents would leave their children at home or send them out to scavenge on rubbish dumps, roam in the streets or do menial errands or look for something they can use or sell.

The Director and Principal of Qalam School, Maliha Sikander — who has extensive teaching and administrative experience; a passion for teaching and loves running the school — informed that the mission of Qalam School is 1) to educate underprivileged children and adolescents up to the 8th grade level; 2) to uncover talent, develop creativity and give direction to the students; 3) to provide ongoing financial support to them for continuing their education; 4) to provide students the technical skills they need to earn a respectable income and, 5) to become economically independent and responsible citizens and impact positively on the community around them.

Young boys and girls who have no sanitation facilities in their slum dwellings are taught about hygiene and how to take good care of themselves. Students bathe at the school, if needed. They are taught good manners and etiquette; how to eat properly and behave appropriately. They are taught how to engage with others and be good human beings. Besides this, they are given a healthy meal at lunctime, something they may or may not get at home.

The Qalam School is a not-for-profit educational project of Almas and A Qadir Charitable Trust, which was established in their loving memory after they left an estate in bequest for doing perpetual charity (sadaqa jaaria/continuing good works) that benefit humanity. If you want to know more the activities of the school are regularly posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Qalam-School/ 171014356305036?sk=timeline. The website of the Charity is at www.qalamschool.com/why-qalam-school.html.