By Jahanara Shiraz | Manager, Academics (Non-formal Education)
Shamsuddin is a 12-year-old who lives with his parents and 8 younger siblings in the slums of Rawalpindi. He starts his day early with a trip to the wholesale vegetable market in Islamabad where he helps his father buy onions and potatoes at a good price for them to sell at their own stall. Later, they bring their selection of produce to their vegetable stall in the city, where he helps attract buyers and manage sales till 1pm in the afternoon.
Until last year, his job as a salesman did not end in the afternoon but ran well into the evening. It was around then that our Academic Coordinator encountered him on one of his scouting visits and convinvced him and his father to let Shams enroll in our accelerated Paid to Learn program where children who work or live in urban slums complete primary school in two years, in a customised, non-formal, multi-age classroom every afternoon in a school near their home. He is now a second-grade student at our Fauji Colony School in Rawalpindi.
Shams attends school regularly and is always on time, showing interest and intelligence in his studies. He is known in school for his great sense of humour, something that pleases him when mentioned:
"Humour is the key to awakening wonder and wonder is where learning begins," he says with a smile.
He goes on to tell us that his life revolves around struggling for goals, small and big: fetch water, make money, go to school and finally become a good businessman. Being the eldest of 8 siblings, he also wants to be the umbrella of support for his family, ensuring security, comfort and peace for them. He is confident that he can achieve all these goals by working hard, a remarkably positive perspective for someone who has seen so much struggle at such a young age. Despite his realisation of his does not complain about having to work with his father, instead reflecting on how the secrets of the trade he has picked up will help him make it big as a businessman.
He is grateful to supporters like you who have given life to the working children community and enabled Zindagi Trust to put a good number of them in schools. He wanted to share this final message with you, something he repeats often to his classmates, friends and cousins:
"We were born underprivileged but thanks to the generosity of strangers who are supporting our education and our own hard work we will be privileged in the future."
Thank you for your support in helping us education children like Shams. We hope you will support us with another donation or share our work with your friends and family!
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By Jahanara Shiraz | Manager, Academics (Non-formal Education)
By Jahanara Shiraz | Manager, Academics (Non-formal Education)
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