“Me too!” cried the rest of the class in perfect unison. The excitement on the faces of these young philosophers could not be hidden as their faces glowed and eyes sparkled. Their commitment seems un-faltered and they are determined to pursue their goals.
9 year old Mariam, whose parents are keen to provide their daughter with an education, has two brothers; both attend the same school. There are no restrictions as to what level the children wish to study. “I want to do my matriculation from this very village and hope that my school expands to fulfill this dream of mine,” commented Mariam. She is concerned that if the school does not expand, she might have to step out of the village’s secure boundaries. Nevertheless, she is determined on pursuing her goals.
“Eleven years ago, when I came to this village, the idea of sending a female child to school was beyond imagination. However things are different now. Almost all families are sending their daughters to school and wish for them a good education”, informed Mariam’s mother. This current situation is very different from what prevailed almost a decade back. The shift in mindset is a result of the combined and consistent efforts of the Parent Education Committee (PEC) and the teachers. In its initial years, the school encountered many obstacles from the villagers. Parents would rather have the child earn a living and help out with household chores than acquire an education.
With time and persistent effort of the PEC and teachers, the community began to observe the benefits that education reaped. They realized the visible difference in habits between children attending school and those that roamed the streets idly. The former were aware of hygiene and took regular baths, cut their nails and followed a disciplined routine.
“We need to keep ourselves clean and the place we live clean,” earnestly replied Mariam. The motivation, love and affection provided by her teachers add fuel to her ambitions of materializing her dreams and discovering her self.
These young visionaries are students of the Mallah Mir Fellowship School situated in Rehri Mayana Goth; a small fishing community comprising population of thirty two thousand located some 17 km from Korangi. Since the past 6 years this school has experienced an interesting journey with many an impediment. Yet it has been successful in shifting the conventional thought of the residents towards education. The student enrollment amounted to less than 25 in the first year. Today this is a steep 160.
