Educating 1800 child workers in Pakistan

Ali pulls out a small stool and seats himself in front of a shallow tub containing timeworn petrol and an old paintbrush. He dips the brush into the petrol and starts to spread the oil over the casing of the motor bike’s engine. He works with concentration turning his head at angles, making sure to get the tiny crevices. As he works to clean the dirt off of his client’s bike, his confidence along with his rough and blackened fingers bear testimony to his years of experience at this car repair shop. Towards late afternoon, Ali scrubs his nails the best he can, changes his shirt, and diligently heads over to his school.

Twelve year old Ali is a student at a Zindagi Trust school in Lahore, Pakistan. This school specializes in non-formal education for working children, covering basic primary education in an accelerated two year course. It was through a door to door recruiting campaign that our Zindagi Trust team in Lahore found Ali at his shop and encouraged him to join the program. Now in the equivalent of the first grade, Ali spends three hours at the school every day between his time at the workshop.

One of five siblings, Ali chose to work to help supplement his father’s monthly salary of USD 130. His teachers regularly praise his dedication, sharp mind, and ability to learn quickly— qualities that have allowed him to excel in school as well as work. We hope that the same qualities will allow Ali to fulfill his two goals in life: becoming an engineer who serves Pakistan and providing his family financial support and a comfortable life. With your donations Ali’s ambitions can become more of a reality.

Thank you for supporting bright children like Ali through our program and we hope that you will continue to contribute!

Links:

• Zindagi Trust official website