Educating 1800 child workers in Pakistan

12-year old Ali’s dazzling smile is all the more unique because of his shy personality. His smile naturally peeps out as he recounts his recent task of hemming his first shalwar (traditional trousers), and how he cannot wait to one day graduate to cutting clothes like his Ustaad (master tailor). However, the smile fades as he starts talking about how his weekly income of USD 5 is often insufficient to buy dinner for his 7-member household.

Ali is a student at a Zindagi Trust school in Islamabad, Pakistan, This school specializes in non-formal education for working children, covering basic primary education in an accelerated two year course. Ali’s father heard about the Zindagi Trust Paid-to-Learn program from his neighbor and decided to enroll his son, who had never attended school before. Now, in the equivalent of fifth grade, he spends three hours at school between his job at the shop, to which he goes to in the morning and evening after school.

Ali is a high-achiever in school, scoring first position in his previous academic year. He enjoys school and loves the fact that through this program, he is now able to read newspapers and novels, which he was not able to do before. During the little free time he has on the weekends, he prefers playing cricket with his siblings, and has modeled his batting skills and strategy on Shahid Afridi, his sportsman role model. Although he enjoys scoring sixers as a batsman, his ambition is to study fashion designing and open up his own boutique one day. He hopes to earn enough to support his entire family while working on a craft he loves.

Please donate to provide Ali and children like him the chance at choosing their own future.

Links:

• http://www.zindagitrust.org