Supplies donated for street schools

Starting this project was a tough ask but we managed to make it this far due to the unwavering support of our family and friends. Our journey from limited resources to this point where people from all walks are stepping forward to contribute has been an extraordinary experience. Seeing this additional support for the education of street children is heartening, to say the least. 

These were the poignant words with which Shireen Zafar, the co-founder of Karachi’s commendable street schools system, thanked donors at an event held to hand over school supplies to the brother-sister duo who are now running multiple schools for street children in the metropolis.

Donated by individuals and corporate sector organizations, the supplies received by Shireen and her brother, Hasan Zafar, included books, notebooks, pencils, crayons, printers, water bottles, lunch boxes and school bags. 

The siblings started the project in 2016 and now have over 300 students from the underprivileged section of society. The teaching responsibilities are shared among Hasan, Shireen and 10 other fully-paid teachers, along with some volunteers. Their schools run from 4:00pm to 6:00pm daily, affording children who work out of necessity the chance to acquire an education on their time. 

The elder of the two siblings, Hasan, spoke of the need for further assistance to expand the project into a full-fledged school. “If the government, an individual or any other organisation can provide us land to set up a proper school, these children stand to gain a lot by experiencing academic life as those from better off families,” he said.