Case Studies CDL

8/10/2019 Case Studies CDL

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In search of a bright future Case Studies from CDL Project

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The picture on the ti tle page is taken from the International Research on Working Children (IREWOC)s picture gallery.( http!!""".childla#our.net)


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Contents Page

$##re%iations &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& '

ore"ord &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

*ro+ect O%er%ie" &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ,

Case studies from -ahore &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Case /tudies from Islama#ad &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& '0

Case /tudies from Ra"alpindi &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& 12

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Abbreviations

3EE* 3asic Education Ena#ling *rogram

C4$ Capital 4e%elopment $uthority

C4- Child 4omestic -a#our

CRC Child Rights Con%ention

EC$ Employment of Children $ct

ECE Early Childhood Education

E4O Education 4e%elopment Officer

I-O International -a#our Organi5ation

IT Information Technology

6E 6on7ormal Education

86 8nited 6ation

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Foreword

In a country like *akistan9 child la#our is the outcome of a multitude of socio7

economic factors and has its roots in po%erty9 lack of opportunity9 an e:plosi%epopulation gro"th rate9 increasing unemployment9 une%en distri#ution of "ealth and

resources9 discriminating social attitude to"ards girls and "omen9 and inade;uate

educational facilities.

The 6ational Child -a#our sur%ey9 conducted in million children (in the 17.= million)9 girls. The num#er of

economically acti%e children in the 7


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lesser degree9 at a su#7regional le%el9 in Darch 0>>. Through the pro+ect9 I-Oaimed to de%elop a kno"ledge#ase on the issue of child domestic la#our9 to impartnon7formal education to child domestic "orkers9 to pro%ide %ocational training and tode%elop national capacity to deal "ith the issue effecti%ely. This t"o year pro+ect "asto #e completed in e#ruary 0>>,9 #ut "as e:tended up till $ugust 0>>,. The

e:tension of the pro+ect "as sought due to the change in the go%ernment academicyear from the $pril!Darch cycle to the une!$ugust cycle. Idara7e7Taleem7o7$agahiser%ed as the implementing partner of I-O in the e:ecution of this pro+ect in threecities of *akistan? -ahore9 Islama#ad and Ra"alpindi.

The pro+ect had three interlinked strategic components the first focused onpromoting the integration of C4- as part of the #roader child la#our issue in thenational de%elopment policy and programme (creating an ena#ling en%ironment).The second part focused on direct action "ith child domestic la#orers9 theiremployers9 families and communities. 8nder this component9 some >, C4-s "erepro%ided "ith 6on7formal Education and %ocational training in 6E centers. The

third component focused on pro%iding opportunities for raising a"areness9information sharing and documentation for lessons learnt and as "ell as goodpractices on C4-.

Each of the >, C4-s enrolled under this program had a story of his or her o"n totell. $ll of them9 #elonging to po%erty7ridden families9 had dreams they "anted topursueF These young souls do not "ish to ha%e to ser%e anyone "anting to li%e life"ith dignity. This pro+ect infused hope for many of them? hope to #e a#le to pursuetheir dreams9 hope to #e a#le to fight po%erty9 and hope to #e a#le to en+oy theirrightsF The follo"ing case studies share some of the stories of these children andother stakeholders in%ol%ed in this pro+ect.

We "ould like to thank the entire IT$ team "orking for the C4- pro+ect for collectingthese case studies. We are also grateful to all the children and their family mem#ersfor sharing their grie%ances9 dreams and hopes "ith us.

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FACTS 23% CDLs ithdran through

a!ternati"e trades or ho

sim#!$ decided to sitch to

!earning

1&% dro##ed out' 3% gir!s gotmarried' 15 % migrated(shifted

to other !ocations

) % residua!s ho ant to

continue* some ith

"ocationa! and some ith

studies +these need to be

su##orted b$ DoL ( ,-.(

/oS0S.


Pro)ect *verview

&The pro+ect B*re%enting and Eliminating E:ploitati%e 4omestic Work through

Education and Training in /outh $sia "as designed to contri#ute to the progressi%eand effecti%e elimination of child la#our in /outh $sia and Child 4omestic -a#our in*akistan. The target locations are the pro%inces of *un+a# and the ederal $reas9including the cities of -ahore9 Ra"alpindi9 and Islama#ad.

C4- pro+ect "as operational in ' centres in -ahore9 'in Ra"alpindi and in Islama#ad. These centrespro%ided different kinds of skills to a thousandchildren9 many of them girls. The teachers and clustercoordinators at the centre "ere trained "ith 0 "eekpre7ser%ice program on child rights9 pedagogy9 life

skills9 health9 pre7%ocational skills9 social mo#ili5ation9centre management9 %igilance committees etc.

8nder this pro+ect9 01G children ha%e #eenmainstreamed and another '0 G children (total 12G)ha%e #een enrolled for formal mainstreaming(admission in mainstream go%ernment schools) #y$ugust 0>>, at the end of the e:tended pro+ect.

To ensure that the certificate that these childrenrecei%e is meaningful9 agreements "ere signed "ith

E4O (C4) -ahore H Ra"alpindi for ' ! , monthCertification of @ocational Course. $nother agreement has #een reached "ith theWomen *rogram Officer (W*O) Islama#ad9 for training and certification of thecourses. C4- *ro+ect teachers "ere trained and certified in the $dopt a o%ernment@ocational Training Centre program.

The pro+ect has not #een "ithout its difficulties and challenges. The differences inages and le%els amongst the students of the centers Jgrades from to


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nnovations by 'A

IT$ made a num#er of inno%ations for the #enefit of the children as they carried outthe C4- pro+ect. $mong them ha%e #een the Indi%idual Education *ortfolios9 the

pro%ision of health facilities9 toolkits9 housekeeping for older C4-9 and a po"erfulcommunication strategy for C4- in *akistan facilities.

Quantitative overview of the project

Categories Numbers %

C4-s Enrolled (age >7,

irls ! emale Enrolled 2,= 2,G

Dainstreamed #y $ug. 0>>, 121 12G4rop outs L 0'G

Continue (/tudies!@ocational) 1 G

Independent @ocational 1G


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Lahore8nder this pro+ect9 three 3EE* centers "ere opened in -ahore? in the *athi roundarea9 the Charar *ind area and the 3and Road area. '


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Pathi Ground Lahore

Located in the interiors of the city" Pathi +round epitomi,es the dwellings of thepoverty ridden inhabitants of Lahore City& Congested homes" piles of garbage"groups of addicts and unfortunate beggars describe the scene of this locality&

-aving no s!ills" no hope for their current and future situation" most of the residentsrely on labour wor! and shop !eeping& .otor mechanics" beauticians" and artificial)ewellery ma!ers occupy the surrounding shops& 'he women from this area" mostlyilliterate" are miserable and victims of human rights violations& 'here are no places

for children to play" with the presence of addicts in the area ma!ing the locality evenmore unsafe&

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n /earch of a 0righter Future

Derry a%ed9 a fourteen year old resident from *athi

round9 had #een "orking as a domestic "orker for thepast t"o years #efore +oining the C4- centre. Derry hadto "ash clothes9 shop for groceries9 "ash dishes and runother small errands. /he "as paid Rs. >> per month.or the si: hours in the first half of the day that Derryspent at her employers house9 she had to #e on her toesconstantly. In spite of all the effort and hard "ork9 Derry"as constantly critici5ed for her "ork. BI "as sufferingfrom e:treme #ackache #ut still I used to complete mytasks as I could not afford to lea%e my +o#. 3ut the aunt inthe house "ould critici5e me and order me to do little +o#s

that they themsel%es could do9 e:plains Derry in gloomyand sad mood.

*rior to "orking9 Derry "as a student of class '. /he had to start "orking and lea%eher school to support her destitute family. Aer father9 a s"eeper "ith the DunicipalCorporation9 had #ecome una#le to continue his +o# due an illness. /he has an auntat home "ith se%ere #urns due to a sto%e #last. Aer small home9 though neat9speaks of the financial hardships faced #y its inha#itants. Derry needed to "ork topro%ide for her parents9 her aunt and her three #rothers.

Derry +oined the C4- centre in uly 0>>1. inding her educational and %ocational

training to #e more producti%e and profita#le9 Derry left the domestic "ork +o# soonafter"ards. $t the centre9 she is not only learning to read and "rite #ut is alsoenrolled in course for #eauticians and tailors.

$ccording to Derrys mother9 B.erry is my only daughter& was compelled to sendher for domestic wor! in households after my husband became seriously ill& !noweducation is very important to better our life but our circumstances deprived her ofthis blessing& 0ut now she is very satisfied in the centre where she is not only gettingan education but vocational s!ills.A change am observing in .erry is that now shespea!s confidently with others& 0efore that she was very shy and was reluctant toe%press herself& /he ta!es care of her self now !eeps herself neat and clean and isvery much aware of her health& /he used to be a very 2uarrelsome child but nowshe is somewhat composed though she needs improvement.

Derry is a %ery intelligent and hard"orking student9 possessing leadership ;ualities./he supports her class mates in learning and e%en helps her teacher maintaindiscipline in the class room. /he "ants to #e a #eautician and earn money through ina respecta#le "ay. Aer mother /usan said that Derry is no" %ery happy and full ofenthusiasm #eing at the centre. /he is hopeful of a #righter future for herself. Derrysfirst assessment result "as == G. /he is doing %ery "ell in her se"ing class too. /hecan se" frocks and pa+amas %ery neatly. /he has created #eautiful greeting cardsF

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'owards ndependence

6adirs father a#andoned him and his mother9 "hen 6adir "as only 2 years old. Aeno" li%es "ith his mother9 #rother and sister9 all of"hom are domestic "orkers. They had to report to"ork at 1 a.m. e%eryday9 ha%ing to "ork till


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/ee!ing -appiness$sma9 only t"el%e9 has seen many ad%ersities in life atsuch a young age. Aer father is unemployed and9therefore9 cannot support $sma and her family. $smas

mother9 frustrated "ith life9 has attempted suicide se%eraltimes. $smas maternal and paternal families ha%e also#een nothing #ut a source of misery and discomfort for thisunfortunate family. $sma9 her mother and t"o youngersi#lings ha%e to stay at their employers house as theyha%e no other home and cannot afford to rent a place on their o"nF

$s narrated #y $sma9 B*ne day heard my mother crying there was nothing to eatat home" my father was shouting& -e didn$t want to ta!e responsibility for anythingnor did he want us to as! him for anything& 'hen my mother decided to wor! inhouseholds as we were e%tremely poor& 'wo years ago" started wor!ing in houses

too.$sma has a sister and a #rother. Aer younger sister goes to "ork "ith her. $sma hasto clean the floor9 "ash dishes9 #ring groceries and runs errands. Aer younger sisterassists her. $ll the hardships and cruelties of life had infused a sense of anger in$sma and she had de%eloped a %ery hostile attitude

$sma +oined the C4- Education centre in 0>>1. $s she has to #e at "ork from


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A 3eglected /oul

/har;a had to lea%e school "hile only in class 0 due tofinancial pro#lems. Aer father had di%orced her mother

and no" all the family mem#ers had to "ork forsur%i%al. /he has three #rothers and a sister. Aermother is also domestic "orker. /har;a has #een"orking for the past t"o years and earns a "age of Rs>> per month. 3ut /har;a doesnt like to "ork in otherpeoples homesF /he finds it to #e degrading and "antsto #e respected in lifeF

/har;a pro%ed to #e a difficult student for her teachers"hen she +oined the C4- centre in $ugust 0>>1. /he "as not disciplined and "ouldfight "ith other students. Ao"e%er9 her attitude no" is impro%ing. /har;a "as

mainstreamed in /eptem#er. /he recei%ed =1 G marks in her first assessment.

/har;as mother says9 B/har2a is my eldest daughter& n the absence of their father"my children felt neglected but now /har2a is very happy to )oin the centre& 'here issomething for her to do in life now& 0efore )oining the centre she used to 2uarrel withher siblings and was trouble for me& /he was very difficult to handle& 0ut" now" achange has occurred& /he now listens to me and follows instructions& /he ta!esinterest in helping me at home and also ta!es care of her siblings& want her to getan education so that she does not have to depend on others for her livelihood& 'hecentre is a blessing for people li!e us" providing education and s!ills to deprivedchildren.

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5ant to 0ecome a 'eacher

B want to get an education and be a good teacher& People do not respect you whenyou wor! in households& want to live with respect46

Iram has to "ork for to 1 hours9 e%eryday9 in peopleshomes to make ends meet at home. Aer father isunemployed and her mother also "orks in households./he has one #rother and one sister. *o%erty has ne%erallo"ed Iram to go to school. /he has #een "orking asa domestic "orker for the past t"o years. Iram saysthat it is impossi#le to ask for rest "hile "orking. BI ha%eto support my mother. We li%e from hand to mouth and"ithout my support its difficult for my mother to run ourhome

Irams mother also "ants her children to study and "as %ery happy "hen Iram +oinedthe C4- -iteracy centre. Irams mother says9 B want my daughter to study in thecentre& 'here is no opportunity" in our area" for our children to learn& /he is now busyand will do something positive with her life& /he is very much interested in sewingand want her to learn s!ills so that in the future she can stand on her own&

Iram is impro%ing her literacy and numeracy skills. Aer mother says that #efore she+oined the centre9 Iram "as e:tremely shy and could not talk to any one confidently.Ao"e%er9 no"9 e%eryone has noticed a %ery positi%e change in her #eha%ior.urthermore9 Iram no" keeps herself and her home clean.

/he is one of the most disciplined students in class. /he scored %ery "ell in her firstassessment. Iram is %ery "eak9 often suffering from fe%er. /he is recei%ingtreatment through the pro+ects referral system

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3ow Can Dream 'oo4

$roosas father is a go%ernment employee. Ae is suffering from an in+ury to one ofhis legs9 for the past fe" months. Aer mother goes "ith her father to assist him "ith

his "ork. $roosa has ne%er #een to school and for the past one year9 she is "orkingin peoples homes as a domestic la#ourer. $fter "orking for four hours e%eryday9 shemanages to earn Rs. 1>> per month.

$roosa says9 t is very difficult to wor! in households because we children feel tiredand have to bear many things harsh attitude" derogatory behavior and some timeswe are beaten up& 'his is not life& 5e want to live according to our wishes anddreams& 'his can only happen if we get an education and s!ills similar to the onesthat we are receiving in the centre& want to live a happy life" it is my right and !now that is only possible through education&

Aer mother is %ery happy that $roosa has +oined the $agahi Centre. /he is %erysatisfied "ith $roosas progress9 not only in education #ut also in %ocational skills.$ccording to her9 $roosa takes great interest in the #eautician course and makes#eautiful designs "ith henna on hands. $roosas mother says9 have no words toe%press my gratitude for the efforts of this organi,ation for our children& could notdream of sending our children to any vocational centres as we can not afford thefees& /he is now getting s!ills free of cost& /he has improved a lot" not only with hercommunication s!ills but also ta!es great interest in personal hygiene.

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Charar Pind, Lahore.

Charar Pind is situated ne%t to one of Lahore most posh neighborhoods& -owever"their geographical location within the city is the only thing similar between the tworesidential areas& 5hereas Defence -ousing society is dotted with beautiful eleganthouse" well maintained roads" Charar Pind has no such facilities available& 'hevillage" though bustling with commercial activities" desperately needs a sanitationsystem" repairing of streets and a high school& 'here is no proper place to dumpgarbage" animals dung and other wastes that produce an unbearable odor& .ost ofthe people in the Pind live in rented homes&

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'urning Dreams into 9eality

Aer family could not make ends meet

unless they did e:tra "ork. or thispurpose9 Nasmin /amuel goes "ith hermother to "ork in three households inreturn for Rs. 0,>> per month. Aer othert"o sisters are also in%ol%ed in domesticla#our and earn Rs. '>>> rupees monthly.Aer father dri%es a rented auto ricksha"and earns Rs.> to Rs. rupees perday. Though #oth her #rothers "ork asday la#ourer9 they #oth spend most oftheir earnings on drugs. Thus it is up to

the parents and daughters to pro%ide forall the monthly e:penses for their home.

T"el%e year old Nasmin /amuels family migrated to -ahore from Okara four yearsago. The family had initially settled in Nouhanna#ad and fortunately shifted to Charar*ind after"ards? fortunately #ecause a C4- $aghai centre started operating in thislocality in 0>>1.

Nasmin has #een in%ol%ed in domestic la#our since she "as only years old. Theconcept of self7esteem has lost its meaning for Nasmin o%er the due course of time./he has often #een the target of serious humiliation and a#ysmal #eha%ior at her

"ork place. Ao"e%er9 she feels hopeful a#out her future e%er since +oining Charar*inds C4- Center. $t the centre9 she is learning %ocational skills9 like make7up.Nasmin is con%inced that "hen she has completed the %ocational skills course9 she"ould #e a#le to learn to read and "rite9 she "ould #e a#le to lea%e the ta#oo ofchild la#our #ehind and +oin a respecta#le profession. Aer education and learning"ould certainly open more opportunities for her to impro%e her familys situation.

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A Creative .ind

*er%ai5s day starts at se%en and passes #y in a #lur after that. Ae irons clothes9does dusting around the house9 clean the cars9 ser%es food9 opens the gates and

does miscellaneous errands all day. Ae has #een ser%ing this family for the past fi%eyears. This "eak #oy is on his toes all day to pro%ide comfort for his employers.Re"ards9 ho"e%er9 at the end of the day are no match for the effort put in #y*er%ai5. Ae is ser%ed food after e%eryone has eaten. This too is al"ays a day or t"oold9 either preser%ed in the free5er or "ith "ater added in the gra%y to increase the;uantity. Rarely has he #een gi%en a share of other delicacies en+oyed #y theemployers. The room gi%en to him is %ery suffocating and hot. Ae is ne%er allo"ed togo out for an outing and can only go home on "eekends to meet his familyF

*er%ai5 earns Rs >> per month. This money holds a lot of %alue for his family. Aisfather is a la#ourer and his mother is a domestic "orker. our of his se%en si#lings

also "ork as domestic "orkers. inancial crises ha%e forced *er%ai5 and his#rothers and sisters to earn.

*er%ai5 and his three younger si#lings +oined the C4- centre in Charar *ind. Theyare %ery happy to #e studyingF *er%ai5 aspires to #ecome an insurance agentF Aehas a creati%e mind and is one of the most acti%e participants in the story7tellingsession. Ae dra"s #eautifullyF Ae is also learning dress making at the centre.

Ais father Aa; 6a"a5 is %ery content "ith his childrens progress at the centre. Aeshares B'hey return bac! form the centre and start studying again& 'hey havebecome very !een to learn& All of my family wor!s and we are all trying to change

our circumstances& 'hey (children are not of an age to be engaged in such !inds of)obs but our poverty compelled us to do this& want my !ids to be trained and learns!ills such as dress designing or motor mechanics so that they can earn respectably&.y children are now very cooperative: ta!e care of each other" as well as their healthand hygiene& appreciate the efforts of this organi,ation" wor!ing for our children"otherwise we have always been neglected by the government& 3ow we are hopefulthat our dreams can come true and we will be able to live a comfortable life .

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/poilt by All the Lu%uries

Da+eed liked li%ing at his employers house. Ae felt that here he "as getting "hat hisparents could not pro%ide him. Da+eed #elongs to a %ery poor family. Ais father is a

dri%er and his mother "orks in peoples homes. The situation at his home is al"aystense due to shortage of money. $t his employers home9 he got good food to eat9clean clothes to "ear and had an air cooler in his room. Da+eed suffers from epilepsyand used to get an attack of fits. Ais employer #eing considerate ga%e him money toget a medical checkup done. Da+eed felt Bspoilt #y all these lu:uries. E:tremely fondof his employers9 Da+eed idoli5es the man of the house and "ants to #e a pilot +ustlike himF

Da+eed employer also encouraged him to +oin the C4- -earning Centre. *rior to this9he has had no schooling. Ae en+oys going to the -eaning centre and taking part inthe e:tra curricular acti%ities. Ae "ishes to #e a pilot one day. Ae hopes that one day

he9 too9 "ill #e a#le to employ poor children in his house and sa%e them from po%ertyand depri%ation9 paying them three thousand rupees a monthF

BAs will become somebody in life so " too" will have to !eep servants in my home&0ut will ta!e care that these children are not sub)ected to heavy wor!& Perhaps willma!e them clean my cars and nothing else6" dreams .a)eed& -e also wants to buildhospitals and schools for children wor!ing in house holds.

Da+eeds mother9 aram 6ashit9 says9 B.y child is very happy to have )oined thecentre and am happy to see his smiling face when he goes and returns form thecentre& .a)eed now is very much conscious of his hygiene and health& -e is

practicing good manners respects elders" tries to spea! with respect andcooperates with others& -e wants to be a pilot in life but we should be realistic& -e isinterested in learning dress designing& /eeing his interest in studies" have becomevery hopeful about his bright future& Free education and vocational trainingopportunities are of great support for people li!e us&6

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5ho 5ants to 5or! as a /ervant;

/o#ia doesnt like "orking in other peoples homes.

/he shares9 hate wor!ing in households& 5ho wants to wor! as servants; 5e arehuman beings and would li!e to be treated as that& 5e are not committing anycrimes" then why do people not respect us;


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@ducation is .y 9ight4

Though Paina# is only ten years old9 her e:periences ha%e taught her a lot a#out life./he #elie%es that e%ery child in the country should #e pro%ided "ith e;ual

opportunities.

/he ;uestions9 B5hy are some children getting a good education while some arewor!ing in households to ma!e ends meet; 5e are also talented and diligent andcan progress in life.

Paina# is %ery happy and satisfied "ith the training she is recei%ing at the C4-centre. 6o" that she is learning to se" and to do make7up9 she has #ecome hopefula#out her future. /he "ants to open up her o"n salon one day. Aer mother sharesthe same optimism.

/he says9 B5e are very grateful at the effort of opening such centres for our children&n this locality there is no such centre providing free vocational s!ills &Bainab islearning computer s!ills" health education and learning how to read and write& /he ishappy to )oin the centres& Bainab now is more caring towards the family !eeps ourhome clean and ta!es care of her siblings&6

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A /ensitive /oul

Nasmin lea%es for "ork at si: in the morning. /he takes her sister along "ith her forsecurity reasons? she feels safer that "ayF

$ teary eyed Nasmin e:claims9 B do not want to wor! in households& t isembarrassing to wor! in other people$s home& 'hough have not faced any harshattitude from my employers" but do not feel good about this wor!& /ome times menstare at you4 don$t li!e that& have to suffer all this because am not educated ands!illed4 would li!e to receive training in sewing and beautician courses in thiscentre to get rid of this and live respectably& will definitely learn these s!illswholeheartedly.

Nasmin is a sensiti%e soul "ho thinks deeply a#out her po%erty. /he "ants to get ridof it #y learning skills. /he is a #rilliant and hard "orking student. Nasmin says that

after +oining the centre she has impro%ed her mannerism and communication skills./he has learnt ho" to "ork cooperati%ely "ith others and ho" to communicateeffecti%ely "ith others. Aer mother says B.y husband is a labourer& -e does notwor! regularly&


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'o @scape from .isery

$fter ou5ias father passed a"ay9 her familys financial conditions "orsened. /hehas fi%e sisters and three #rothers. T"o of her #rothers are also married. Therefore9

it had #ecome e:cessi%ely difficult to make ends meet. ou5ia has #een "orking asa domestic la#our for the past three years. Aer mother and sister also "ork inpeoples homes. $ccording to ou5ia9 her #rothers do not kno" a#out their "ork. Ifthey "ere to e%er find out9 they "ould #e furiousF ou5ia #elie%es that #ecause theyha%e no skills nor are they educated9 they are forced to lead such misera#le li%es.

ou5ia is %ery creati%e "hen it comes to dress makingF /he thinks up of differentdesigns to gi%e the clothes a ne" lookF /he also has a flair for making different hairstylesF

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Band Road Lahore

0and 9oad" Lahore" despite being one of the commercial focuses of the city" is apanorama of acute poverty& .ost students enrolled at the CDL learning centre herebelong to 3i)at Pur area" a village overflowing with garbage and animals&

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0ac! to /chool

$ini 3arkat has t"o #rothers and three sisters. 3oth here parents "ork as domesticla#ourers. $fter she completed class eight9 $ini had to lea%e school as her parents

"ere una#le to afford sending her to school. /he has #een "orking e%er since9 forthe last fi%e years. 3y "orking ' hours e%eryday9 she earns Rs. >> per month.

$ini +oined the C4- -earning centre in 0>>1.Though she had completed class eight"hen she left school9 $ini "as only found suita#le for admission in class si:. /he hadforgotten se%eral concepts in the fi%e years that she had not stayed in touch "ith herstudies. /ince +oining the C4- centre9 $ini has learnt to do em#roidery9 make dolls9picture frames and tailor "ork. /he also has sho"n keen interest in #eauticiancourses.

$inis mother is %ery happy that her daughter has learnt se%eral crafts? se"ing and

hair styling. /he shared that $ini is no" a#le to make se%eral different hair styles andgirls from the neigh#orhood come to her get their hair styledF $inis teacher says that$ini is a %ery o#edient and intelligent student and has a %ery #right futureF

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'o @arn a 9espectable Living

Tehmina has fi%e sisters and a #rother. /he has #een helping her parents make endsmeet for the last four years. /he earns Rs. >> per month after "orking for fi%e

hours e%eryday.

Tehmina had ne%er #een to school #efore she +oined the C4- learning centre. This9ho"e%er9 has #een a "onderful e:perience for her. /he is not only impro%ing herliteracy and numeracy skills #ut is also learning skills like em#roidery9 dress makingand hair styling. Aer mother completely supports her daughters education. /he isglad that after Tehmina has completed her courses9 she "ill #e a#le to use her skillsto earn a respecta#le li%ing for herself. Aer mother regrets that she "as ne%er gi%ensuch an opportunity in her life other"ise she "ouldnt ha%e had to struggle as muchF

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A 9ay of -ope

$sma li%es in a small house on the 3and Road. /he9 her sister9 and their mother goto "ork together in someones house. Their "orkplace is far from their home and

costs them a lot of money to commute #ack and forth. One of $smas sisters ismentally challenged.

4espite their difficult li%ing conditions9 $smas parents possess %ery progressi%ethinking. They "ant their daughters to #e educated so that they can lead a #etter life.They are %ery supporti%e of $sma +oining the C4- centre. They see it as a ray ofhope "hich "ould ena#le their daughter to earn a li%ing through respecta#le andindependent meansF

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n /earch of -onour and Dignity

Tehmina had ne%er #een to school. /hehas #een "orking as a domestic la#ourer

for the past four years. Aer father9 amilkman9 and her mother9 also a domesticla#ourer9 "ere una#le to make ends meetand hence "ere forced to send theirchildren to "ork.

Tehmina has #een "orking for the lastfour years. /he "orks for threehousehold and earns Rs >> per month.$ttending the $aghai centre "as a firste%er schooling e:perience9 for Tehmina.

/he %ery much en+oys schoolF Tehmina isimpro%ing her literacy skills in the centre./he does #eautiful em#roidery oncushions9 paints mud pots and creates indigenous greeting cards. /he has learntcutting and dress making as "ell as hair styling as a part of her %ocational training.

Tehmina is ;uite confident that she "ill #e a#le to earn a reasona#le income aftercompletion of the %ocational training. B feel very insecure when boys of thehousehold stare at me& 0ut cannot protest to my employers because !now thatthey would never scold their boys but will as! me to leave4 have come to this CDLCentre in search of a better future& am trying very hard to enhance my numeracy

s!ills and reading ability& Perhaps" my education or my s!ills could help me to get ridof this humiliation because want to live my life with honour and dignity.

Tehminas teachers say that she is a %ery hard "orking student "ith goodpresentation skills. /he has recei%ed 2G marks in her first assessment.

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3ow Can +o 0ac! to /chool

/a#a left school "hen she "as in class three./a#a9 her three sisters9 and their mother "ork

in different homes to ensure that they canafford #asic necessities. Aer father "orks as ala#ourer. $s she had al"ays "anted to adopt adecent profession9 /a#a "as %ery e:cited"hen she found out a#out the C4- $agahiCentre opening in the %icinity. The centre couldpro%ide her "ith a much a"aited opportunity tocontinue "ith her studies. /he +oined the$agahi centre9 on 3and Road9 in une 0>>1. Inaddition to learning numeracy and literacy skills9 /a#a also attended se"ing andcutting classes as a part of the %ocational program in $agahi Centre. 6o" she is a#leto "ork as a tailoress9 earning Rs. > per day and is %ery happy to ha%e left herdomestic "ork. /he "orks independently from her o"n home and en+oys morefinancial freedom.

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Islamabadour 3eep centers "ere opened in the capital city? in ,!9 2!9 children9 0>2 "ere mainstreamed into go%ernment schools and1 recei%edpre%ocational training.


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F - 6/4 CENRE

'he center situated in the F7> locality initially catered to a colony of a 1EE 2uartershousing Christians& -owever" when a girl attending the centre was raped andmurdered on her way to her classes" many people from the colony withdrew theirchildren from attending classes at the center& Despite this sad event" the centrecontinued to operate amidst signs that all was not lost& *ne of the girls at the centrehad the full cooperation of her employer in getting an education& t was the lady whodropped her off at the centre for her classes& /oon" children from surroundingcolonies began )oining the centre and it prospered&

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-uman 0eing or a Commodity;

B'hough" really want to continue my education but it seems impossible now4 .yparents have decided to marry me in e%change for my brother$s wedding& 'he

ceremony will ta!e place in the ne%t twenty days& .y fiancGe is very oldF Raheela6i5ami shared in despair.

Raheelas hopes of studying "ere shatteredonce againF /he is > per month.

Raheela has se%en si#lings (four #rothersand three sisters). /he li%es in a ser%ant;uarter of a house #ecause her family can not afford a rented house in Islama#ad.Conse;uently her mother and sisters "ork for that household as compensation forrent. Raheela9 too9 sometimes helps her mother and her sisters. 3oth of her #rothersare engaged in their tailoring #usiness. The future seemed to #righten for Raheela"hen a teacher from the near#y $agahi Centre con%inced her parents to enroll herthere. 6o" she is studying the sylla#i of grade 1 and aspires to learn skills that canhelp her support her family. /he is currently learning em#roidery and tailoring at the$agahi Centre in 7,!9 Islama#ad.

B am !een to enhance my s!ills so could provide support for my mother4 f were tobecome a mainstream student" as per the policy of the Aagahi Centre" would beable to do so much for my family4 .aybe can even go on to become a doctor4 0ut do not thin! thatwould be possible& would have to leave for 9ahim


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Loo!ing for an *pportunity

B.y name is /ha,ia& live in a house rented by my employer and wor! there as adomestic labourer& .y father is a domestic labourer and am one of 8 children.

/ha5ias employer does not pay her anything and herfathers salary is not enough to support the family or tofinance her education. /he had al"ays "anted to get aneducation9 to learn %ocational skills9 #ut ne%er got theopportunity. It "as a neigh#orhood friend "ho told /ha5iaa#out IT$s free 3EE (3asic Education Ena#ling) *rogram9their %ocational training centre and their fle:i#le timings sopeople like her9 la#ourers9 can study as "ell. B immediately enrolled at the centre"where am ac2uiring literacy and vocational s!ills li!e learning to stitch and cut& 3ow stitch my own clothes and can fulfill my dream of living a respectable life" /ha5ias

pride speaks through her "ords.

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5aiting for a 0etter Future

To support her ten si#lings and an ailing mother9 arhat has#een "orking as a child domestic la#ourer for the past three

years. arhat li%es in a small house of t"o rooms "ith herfamily. Aer father passed a"ay some time ago and it is no"the eldest childs9 arhats9 responsi#ility to pro%ide for thefamily.

arhat recalls that "hen her father "as ali%e9 they li%ed inthe %illage9 H she "as studying in class 1. $fter her fathers death9 her family left the%illage in search of #etter employment. arhat #egan "orking as a domestic la#ourere%er since the family mo%ed to Islama#ad. Working from morning to e%ening9 shecould not continue her studies though she is %ery fond of reading and "anted to#ecome a teacher.

/he learnt of the $agahi Centre through relati%es "ho "ere enrolled in the /kills and3asic Education programs there. It "as IT$s teachers and coordinator "ho resol%edall the pro#lems that arhat faced9 such as getting permission to study at the centreand timings.

6o"9 arhat "orks and also attends the $aghai Center "here she is continuing herstudies and %ocational "ork side #y side. Content and happy9 arhat looks for"ard tothe day she can support her family9 completely9 after getting her $uthentic /killcertification from the $agahi centre.

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F-!/4 CENRE

'he residents of the slum areas of F7I> and French Colony live in a deplorablestate& 'he total population of these colonies is estimated to be at least =?"EEE&Despite being such a large number" the residents are deprived of almost all the basicfacilities of life and live a very hard life& According to a survey" this colony facesseveral problems li!e lac! of sanitation" electricity" and gas availability etc&Furthermore" to add to their problems" the residents are continuously harassed andintimidated by the police who demand bribes from them" lodging false criminal casesagainst them indiscriminately&

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n the 3ame of Dying -umanity

/haguftas parents came from /a"a#i to

Islama#ad in ;uest of li%elihood #ut ended upoffering their only daughter for domestic la#ourF/hagufta is only 7years old and it is hard toimagine that such a little girl can do such difficultchores9 #eyond her physical and cere#ral capacity.Wanting to help her parents9 /hagufta has #een"orking as a domestic la#ourer for the past t"oyears. Aer father "orks as a dri%er in the samehousehold "here her mother also "orks as adomestic la#ourer. Ao"e%er9 e%en "ith their cumulati%e earning9 they are una#le tomeet all their necessary e:penses. Reali5ing her parents hardship9 /hagufta started

assisting her mother t"o years ago.

/haguftas day #egins at a#out 1>> am "hen she helps her mother in preparing#reakfast for her employers family. /he cooks9 cleans9 "ashes dishes9 "ashesclothes9 all "hile looking after her employers youngest daughter. 3et"een thesechores9 /hagufta has %ery little time left to herself. 3efore migrating to Islama#ad9/hagufta had #een enrolled in a school and "as a student of class three. Ao"e%er9she "as una#le to continue her schooling after mo%ing to Islama#ad. With time9 sheherself lost the 5eal to continue her studies. Aer interest in education re%i%ed onceshe sa" her employers children going to school and came to kno" a#out the $agahiCentre at 72!.

/hagufta says9 B thought this centre would give me an opportunity to pursue mydreams of becoming a doctor& 5hen we wor! as domestic labourers" people don$thave any respect for our emotions and often scold us" even for the slightest mista!e& am also trying to learn more about embroidery and without Aagahi Centre couldhave never managed to restart my education.

Teachers are satisfied "ith /haguftas performance and admire her learningcapacity. One of her teachers said that they "ill send /hagufta to a mainstreamschool so she could continue her education #ut it "ould only #e possi#le in the#eginning of the ne:t term.

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-elplessness and the ssues of ntegrity

Reehana #elongs to a %ery poor family. -ike many other

children in her class9 she lost her childhood in search ofli%elihood. /he has ne%er #een to school #ecause herfamily could ne%er afford it9 and also due to hermothers illness. Of her


40/66


A Dream Comes 'rue

B$ve always dreamt of becoming a beautician and the Aagahi Centre has made thatdream come true" eighteen year old Eli5a#eth says.

Eli5a#eths father "orks as a "atchman9 earning a salary not sufficient enough tosupport Eli5a#eth and her 0 #rothers and ' sisters. /ince her family "as threatened#y po%erty9 Eli5a#eth had to "ork as a domestic la#ourer in 07' different houses.

When Eli5a#eth and her family initially learnt of the Centre9 Eli5a#eths parents didnot "ish their daughter to #e enrolled there. They did not trust the Centre. 3ut9Eli5a#eth con%inced them to let her +oin. $s she learnt more and more skills that"ere useful to her9 her parents came to #elie%e in the centre. $t the centre9 Eli5a#ethlearnt different #eauticians techni;ues and stitching. Today9 she is "orking as anassistant #eautician at a #eauty parlour.

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t$s 3ever 'oo Late to Learn

B$m so happy to be at the Aagahi Centre& .y e%perience here will help me inteaching my children and encouraging them to get an education 9 thirty7fi%e year old

/hamim says.

/hamims hus#and is a gardener in a go%ernment office. /he "ould "ork each day9from morning till e%ening9 in different peoples houses doing domestic "ork.Ao"e%er9 it "as still difficult to make ends meet and feed her son and ' daughters.

/hamim had al"ays "anted to learn to stitch and "henshe learnt of the $agahi Centre in her area9 she sa" heropportunity. /he +oined and learnt not only to stitch9 #ut#eauty techni;ues and fa#ric "ork as "ell.

The ne" skills she ac;uired pleased /hamim and herhus#and as she "ould no" #e a#le to earn more #ystitching peoples clothes. Without the $agahi Centre9 she could ne%er ha%e #eena#le to afford to learn all these different skills that are sure to help her in com#atingpo%erty.

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An @ntrepreneur in the .a!ing

Rehana 3oota is eighteen years old. Aer father is a daily la#ourer earning a merepittance9 forcing his 0 sons and 1 daughters to earn so as to keep their po%erty at

#ay. Rehana "orked as a domestic la#ourer until shelearnt of the $agahi Centre.

B have always dreamt of opening my own beauty parlour&3ow" with the s!ills have learnt at the Centre" canhope to start one9 Rehana says. $t the Centre9 Rehanalearnt #eautician skills. Aer parents "ere %ery happy tosee her progress for they kne" that these skills "ouldhelp her earn more than she "ould ha%e #een a#le to do so as a domestic "orker.

Today9 Rehana "orks as a #eautician from her o"n home. In the future9 she plans to

esta#lish the #eauty parlour she has al"ays dreamt of opening.

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3ow am Kaluable

B used to wor! with my mother as a child domestic labourer"

going from home to home" facing abuse by my employers& .yfather" a day labourer" had no money to send me to a schoolfor he earns a very small amount9 sadly shares Rehana.

/i:teen year old Rehana had to "ork in different householdsto assist her mother in com#ating their po%erty9 though heryounger #rothers "ere sent to schools and ne%er had to "ork.Rehana "as denied the opportunity to learn due to hermothers illness and her familys po%erty. The monthly rent for their house "as >rupees and there "as a family of 1 children to support. Rehana could only dream ofan education.

B.y life changed for the better when a Pre7Kocational instructor at the F7I> AagahiCentre as!ed me"BRehana "hat do you "ant to #ecome in the futureQ I replied thatI "anted to #ecome a good #eautician.

B/o" )oined a beautician course alongside the literacy program at the centre& 3ow am about to complete the full program& have decided to run my own beauty parlorto earn money and support my family with dignity9 Rehana says9 holding her headhigh.

B wish could be an ideal role model for my class

fellows& f they want to achieve something" they can&'he opportunity provided to me by the CDLprogram" through the Aagahi centres opened ingovernment schools" made me aware ofpossibilities and enabled me to ta!e advantage ofthem so that could leave my terrible )ob and loo! atalternatives which are not e%ploitative and abusive.

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-is 9oadmap to /uccess

B could not continue my education because my fatherdied of cardiac arrest& -e was a ta%i driver and with his

death" there were several responsibilities that have totend to: both financial and emotional&I had to look intoall household matters #ut no#ody "as there to lookafter me. Dy mother started "ork as a domestic la#our.I assisted my mother in different chores like shopping9#a#y sitting9 cleaning the cars and dri%e7"ays. I used to"ork till 1 p.m. and there "as no leisure time for me6&

ourteen7year7old hurrams case is no different fromthe other orphan children from poor families. Orphaned at an early age9 he had to doall kinds of +o#s and "as often treated %ery #adly. 4espite him and his #rothers

"orking and his mother also in%ol%ed in domestic la#our9 his family faced a se%erefinancial crisis and are una#le to afford his school fees.

Ais life took a ne" turn "hen an $agahi Centre opened near#y and a teacher %isitedhis home to con%ince his mother and his employer to send him to the centre.hurram is no" studying the 'rdgrade sylla#us at the centre. Ae "ants to completehis studies and +oin the armed forces.$ccording to him there is no life "ithouteducation and e%erything depends upon education.

Ae further adds that9 Bf a person is educated he can broaden his ideas andperception& -e can ma!e a choice between good and bad& -is future is bright4

never !new this before but after came to the Aagahi Centre and started attendingschool again" ideas started pouring in& +oing bac! to school has increased myawareness and confidence.

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F-"" Centre

Located in the slum area" F711 Aaghai center is ad)acent to a graveyard and ashrine& 'he community residing in the area is divided on sectarian basis: into shiaand sunni communities& 'he religious rift within the communities has madeaccessibility to the only school in the region a problem for girls&

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Don$t /natch Away .y Childhood

B used to wor! with my father while my two sisters wor!edas domestic labourers& .y father had no money to send me

to school as he is a gardener and earns very little& wantedto go to school" and at times used to cry" but my parentsnever sent me.

Ten7year7old Imran had to "ork in different households toassist his father in com#ating their po%erty9 though hisyounger #rothers "ere sent to school and ne%er had to "ork.Ae al"ays yearned to study and dreamt of #ecoming amem#er of the armed forces #ut "as denied the opportunitydue to his mothers illness9 and most importantly9 po%erty. The family had to pay> rupees as rent for their house. $lso9 Imran has se%en si#lings9 fi%e sisters and

t"o #rothers9 and it is understanda#ly hard to pro%ide for all of them.

B.y life changed for the better when a teacher of Aagahi Centre came to our house&/he convinced my parents to send me to school and" thus" got an opportunity tocome to the Centre at F711& li!e attending the school9 said a cheerful Imran $min.

inally a#le to get an education9 Imran is happy. Ae is studying and learning to stitchand playing "ith friends9 en+oying each and e%ery moment of his stay in the centre.3ut at the same time9 he is apprehensi%e of the fact that once he lea%es the centre9 it"ill #e difficult for him to continue his studies. Ais apprehension is #ased uponrumours of the culmination of the C4- *ro+ect and the closure of $agahi Centres.

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.odern Day /lavery

-i%ing "ith her employers family9 anee5 atima

learnt to mature ;uickly for many reasons. $t +ust tenyears of age9 she had to pro%ide money for her family.

In doing so9 she "as a#used in %arious "ays andtreated as a sla%e. anee5 ne%er managed to get aneducation for her family had no money to spare. Aerfather is a "atchman and earns 01>> rupees a month9"hile her mother is a domestic la#ourer earning >rupees per month. anee5 also contri#utes >rupees to the family income. Out of that amount9 theyha%e to pay 0>>> rupees as rent for their house.

anee5s three si#lings9 t"o sisters and a #rother9 are all younger than her. Thus9the #urden of "orking and earning money falls on anee5s young shoulders. /hegets up at am and "orks till


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G-"" CENRE

.ehra aabadi is situated in +711=& A predominantly .uslim neighborhood" the residentsare mostly refugees and migrants from different parts of the country& 'he aabadi does nothave a proper sewerage system and has a limited drin!ing water supply& Despite suchunhygienic conditions and enhanced susceptibility of residents to diseases" there is nodoctor or medicines available in the only dispensary in the area&

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Paid and npaid Labour 9ound the Cloc!

Daryam has a tight schedule to follo" e%eryday9

almost li%ing a mechanical life. Eight months ago9her family left /argodha and mo%ed to Islama#adin search of a #etter li%elihood.

Daryam #elongs to a large9 poor rural family thatlacks resources the archetype of a family from aMkachi #asti. $fter getting up at da"n9 she goes toa household near#y to "ork as a domesticla#ourer. /he spends nearly the entire day in thesame household and adds 0>>> rupees to thefamily income #y "ashing dishes and clothes and

cleaning the house. These chores continue untillate in the afternoon. It is only then that themonotony #reaks "hen Daryam goes to attend herclasses at the $agahi Centre at 7


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3obody Cares

/onia li%es in the Mkachi #asti of !G in her first assessmentand has impro%ed her communication skills immensely. $ %ery o#%ious change has#een seen in her appearance. When her parents "ere inter%ie"ed9 they "ere of the%ie" that she "as impro%ing a lot. Aer literacy skills ha%e impro%ed and she is no"

sympathetic and patient "ith her si#lings9 "here pre%iously she "as ;uarrelsomeand difficult.

In her IT classes9 /onia has learnt to operate Dicrosoft Word and *aint. /he is alsolearning to make different decoration pieces in the crafts period. /he can makepicture frames9 paper flo"ers and greeting cards and scored 2G in herassessment. When she gro"s up9 she hopes to #e a teacher.

B3obody thin!s of us9 /onias father says. B


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-opefully Can Moin the Army *ne Day4

halid li%es in the Mkachi #asti in !


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A Dream Fulfilled

B am I years old& 5e are brothers and = sisters& .y father" aLance 3i!e in the army" was murdered ? years ago over family

issues& 5hen he died" my grandfather too! all his pension money&5e were left with nothing and were made to leave our house inDistrict Mhang. This is Tahiras storyF

$fter her fathers death9 Tahiras family mo%ed to Dahr $#adi in 7


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Can and 5ill

$shfa; "as in class one "hen his family "as struck do"n #y afinancial crisis. Ae had to lea%e school and has no" #een "orking

in different households for a year and a half9 supporting hismother in domestic tasks. Ae takes care of children9 "atersplants9 cooks9 #uys groceries9 and cleans the floors for '1>rupees a month.

$shfa;s day starts at 2'> a.m. and he "orks till afternoon. Ae then goes to theCentre to study. Once his classes are finished9 he goes to "ork in another house.E:hausted #y his "ork9 he perse%eres in order to achie%e his dream to #e an armyofficer and to send his parents for Aa++.

$shfa; is %ery determined to change his condition in life. BLoo! at the life we are

living& 'his is not life& want to live a comfortable life by getting an education& amvery !een to learn at the Centre so that can achieve something in life" $shfa; sayspassionately.

$shfa; secured 2G marks in the first assessment. Ae is learning different crafts9making paper flo"ers9 photo frames9 and greeting cards. In the dress making class9he has learnt drafting and cutting. $ regular student9 $shfa; has sho"n leadership;ualities and an aptitude for art "ork.

$shfa;s mother is ;uick to notice the change in her son B$shfa; is %ery happy atthe centre. Ae is learning ne" things9 is "ell mannered and communicates "ell. 6o"

he also takes care of his health and hygiene.

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F # ""/$ CENRE

Despite having historical significance" village 0he!ha /ayedan has always been neglected&'here is no electricity" no clean drin!ing water for the residents& .oreover" presence ofdomestic animals in absence of a proper garbage disposal system adds to the problems ofthe residents& 'here is only one non formal school for children&

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A Life Changed

/hahid H his family li%ed in the %illage of B/hu+ah $#ad until differences #et"een hisparents #roke up the family. /hahid and t"o of his #rothers9 along "ith his sister9

shifted to -ahore "ith their mother. /hahids youngest #rother remained "ith theirfather in the %illage. /hahid has not met his father or #rother for a long time9 notsince he "as years old.

8na#le to cope up "ith circumstances in -ahore9 /hahid and his family shifted toolra /harief in Islama#ad. 3ecause of no support from hisfather9 /hahid had to #egin "ork in a "orkshop to help hismother9 a domestic la#ourer9 to pro%ide for the family.

/hahid "ould "ork in the e%ening and study at ago%ernment school9 in class 09 in the mornings. Things

"ere "orking out "ell until /hahid met "ith a seriousaccident in+uring his left leg #adly. /hahid had to lea%e hisstudies. $ll his dreams of learning to read and "rite9 of#ecoming a doctor9 "ere shattered.

Ais mother "orked morning to e%ening "hile he "as in hospital. It "as she "hoencouraged /hahid to get an education "hen she learnt of the $agahi Centre. 3eingat the centre seems to ha%e #rought /hahid #ack to life. Ae is no" a#le to fulfill his"ish to learn and is fast ac;uiring an education9 on his "ay to #ecoming a doctor.

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Ra%al&ind

iThree 3eep centers "ere opened in the Ra"alpindi city? in *eer"adhai9 Hhatana9and Lala,arareas. '0, children "ere enrolled in these centers.00= of these childrenha%e #een mainstreamed.,' children learnt pre %ocational skills at these centers.

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Peer%adhai

/ituated in slampura" Peerwadhai this centre caters mostly to girls and women& 'heaim is to provide them with vocational training to enable them to provide forthemselves and their families in a respectable manner& Due to its location" the centreoriginally too! in a number of Afghani migrants and refugees& -owever" one of thepro)ect clauses was that only Pa!istani citi,ens could be enrolled at the centre&Peerwadhai centre thus had to loo! elsewhere for students&

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Passion to +o 0eyond

/akeena Aa++ annat ul comes from a poor family li%ing in a slum at *eer"adhai.3oth her parents "ork9 her father in a roadside restaurant (M4ha#a) and her mother

as a domestic la#ourer. Ten years old9 /akeena9 has a younger #rother and a sister./he goes "ith her mother to assist her9 s"eeping9 cleaning9 "ashing clothes anddishes and collecting the gar#age of the households. Aer "orking hours start at >>a.m. and end at > p.m. /he had #een enrolled in a school #ut had to lea%e "henher mother fell ill.

/akeena says9 BI "anted to continue mystudies #ut my parents could not afford it#ecause of financial constraints. /ometimes"e had no food to eat. Doreo%er9my parentsthin! that education for a girl is not needed&

don$t want to wor! in someone$s home and would li!e to lead my life with honour anddignity& t is possible" if concentrate on myeducation and vocational s!ills& 5hen cameto !now about the facility of Aagahi Centre" told my mother that wanted an education&@ventually she agreed and now am studying in class one& am gradually improvingmy communication s!ills& @arlier if you had spo!en to me" would have beenhesitant to tal!& 0ac! then was unable to read& 0ut now" after attending school" can easily tal! to various !inds of people& 3owadays if anyone 2uestions me" canreply comfortably& .y vocational training will help me to earn in a more dignified way

for my family.

$s she speaks of her dreams and hopes9 her eyes light up. /he "ants to #ecome adoctor "hen she gro"s up and ser%e not +ust her family #ut other people as "ell.

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mran .ainstreamed into Formal @ducation

B.y name is mran& live in one of the slum areas of Peerwadhai and wor! as a childlabourer at the Peerwadhai bus stand& was a

student of class I" when poverty N lac! ofresources forced me to drop out of school andabandon my studies& had to support my threebrothers N four sisters for am the eldest6&

Imran longed to return to his studies and fulfill his"ish of #ecoming a doctor. It seemed there "as nohope until one day9 "hen the C4- sur%ey team"ent to his area to launch the $agahi Centre (apro+ect for children "ho "ork in a third partyshome). Ae got permission from his parents to +oin

the centre9 telling them that it "as free of cost andthat he could earn a lot more if he learnt skills atthe centre. Ais parents agreed and he +oined the$agahi centre.

Imran is %ery happy at the Center. B have a neat and clean chair to sit on and the fullattention of dedicated and friendly teachers" who file away my wor! in a progressfolder& can now continue my studies and wor! at the bus stand as well9 Imran says.

$fter completing months at the centre9 Imrans teacher "anted to enroll Imran in ago%ernment school for he "as the #rightest student of his class. Once he took the

test for the go%ernment school9 and his "ork "as re%ie"ed #y the principal9 Imran"as admitted to class .

B am wor!ing hard at both my studies" and my )ob" so can ma!e my dream ofbecoming a doctor" a reality Imran says. B$d li!e to appeal to everybody to see! outstudents li!e me who have beautiful dreams in their eyes" but cannot ma!e themcome true-elp them as have been helped4


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'())N)Hhatana is a small village near Adiala 9oad in 9awalpindi& About ?E O of the villageresidents are wor!ing in 5or!shops" >EO are involved in domestic wor! and theremaining 1EO are daily laborer& 'he surrounding community of Hhatan is a veryaffluent neighborhood& -owever" Hhatana village has always been neglected byauthorities& 'here is no government school for boys and girls& Children have to go to'ulsa" which is about !ilometer away& 0ecause of this long distance" ?EOpopulation of Hhatana is illiterate&

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A 'ale of Fortitude

B was studying in fifth grade but my father forcefully too!

me out of school and brought me into domestic labourbecause we were so poor& began wor!ing in severalhouses" washing clothes and dishes" sweeping" cleaningand loo!ing after the children of my employers& used toslog the whole day but even then ba)i6 (lady employer wasnot satisfied with my performance and I "ould get #eatenup all the time.

ourteen7year7old -u#nas daily chores hardly ga%e her achance to continue her studies. -u#nas father is a carpenter and earns 0>> rupeesdaily. Aer three sisters9 and t"o #rothers9 are domestic la#ourers like her and

contri#ute a sum of > rupees monthly to the family income. Aere in hatana9people pay on a daily #asis for domestic ser%ices.

-u#na "as rescued from the drudgery9 #ecause of a surgery as she could not putany "eight on her legs. T"o months ago9 her friend told her a#out the $agahi Centrein their area and she no" studies there in 1th standard. -u#na "ants to #ecome alady councilor one day and she kno"s that to achie%e that goal9 she has to #eeducated. /he can already feel the change "ithin her as she is no" a#le to talkconfidently "ith people.

B want to bring my siblings out of domestic labour but we have to overcome the

issue of our poverty& 'herefore have to read and learn vocational s!ills& am !eento improve my literacy so can tutor children in my area& t would contribute to myfamily$s income9 says -u#na.

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Lala*ar Lala,ar is situated in Hacchi Abadi near Adiala 9oad" 9awalpindi& About >EEpeople live in this !acchi Abadi" with the entire community involved in labour wor!:EO are in domestic wor!" >EO are daily laborers& 'here is no +ovt /chool in this!acchi Abadi& 'he only option available for children is a private school which is verye%pensive& A mud house was used as a CDL center and this center has by far beenthe best and most appreciated center by all sta!eholders&

Lala,ar is a community situated in the #!acchi abadi$ near Adiala 9oad" 9awalpindi&About >EE people are living in this #!acchi abadi$" the ma)ority being domesticwor!ers& 'here is no government school in this #!acchi abadi$& Children arecompelled to attend e%pensive private schools that their parents can barely afford&As a result" most children have to leave school and the literacy rate in thecommunity is only >E O& 'he people of Lala,ar are deprived of almost all the basicfacilities of life& According to a survey" this #Hacchi abadi$ is a hub of problems li!ethe lac! of sanitation" electricity" /ui gas" and disputes over land with the CDA&

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Pu#da9 eighteen years old9 "orked in 07' households in order to impro%e her familysfinancial condition. Aer father "orked as a "atchman in a "orkshop near#y9 earningtoo little to support his family. One of sisters and 0 #rothers9 Pu#da could onlydream of an education and of #ecoming a teacher "hen she "as older.When she learnt of the -ala5ar $agahi Centre9 Pu#da sa" a light at the end of the

tunnel9 a means of earning a respecta#le li%ing "ithout ha%ing to "ork in otherpeoples houses. Though initially her parents "ere suspicious of the Centre9 "henthey sa" the change in Pu#da9 they #egan to #elie%e in the Centres a#ility to makea difference to their community.

$t the Centre9 she learnt em#roidery and stitching. 6o"9 Pu#da is "orking as a tailor9helping her community as "ell and continuing her education.

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am not a teacher: only a fellow traveler of whom you as!ed the way& pointedaheadJahead of myself as well as of you&

+eorge 0ernard /haw (18?71?E 0ritish dramatist" critic" writer&

@very Child 3eeds a 'eacher

6o one can deny the significance a teacher holds in thelife of her students. $ self7moti%ated and a committedteacher is #lessing for any community. Ds. an"al is onesuch teacher. /he "orked at the When an"al +oined the center in $ugust 0>>19 the center"as in a state of turmoil due to an une:pected resignationfrom the pre%ious teacher. $ccepting the challenge9an"al "as moti%ated not only to "ork for the impro%ement of the center #ut tomo#ili5e the community as "ell. Dost of the students enrolled at the center #elongedto the slum areas of the surrounding areas. Though the community mem#ersunderstood the %alue of education9 they preferred the e:tra money their childrencould contri#ute #y "orking as domestic "orkers.

Taking serious notice of the student a#sentees9 an"al and her colleagues decided

to interact and communicate "ith the community mem#ers to identify the pro#lems.Deetings "ith /haheen9 one of her students9 madean"al reali5e that parents preferred sending theirchildren to "ork so that they could make ends meet.an"al and her colleagues had to stri%e hard tocon%ince /haheens and other parents to send theirchildren #ack to school. To encourage /haheensparents9 an"al offered to employ /haheen in herhouse after study hours. Ao"e%er9 an"al used toteach /haheen during those hours instead of makingher do chores. an"als efforts ha%e payed off. /haheen today is one of the most

outstanding students at the center. /he has impro%ed her literacy skills and haslearnt crafts such as stitching9 dyeing and ri##on "ork.

$s recognition for her "ork9 Ds. an"al recei%ed the 3estTeacher a"ard on World Teachers 4ay 0>>1 cele#rationceremony held at the Dinistry of /ocial Welfare and/pecial Ds. an"als students9 especially /haheen is %erysad these daysF Ds. an"al has recently mo%ed to 8.They all miss her %ery muchF

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5hen All Doors Are Closed

When C4- *ro+ect team took on the task ofstarting the C4- center in *eer"adhi area

of Ra"alpindi9 they kne" that this "as notgoing to #e an easy +o#. $ccepting thechallenge9 the cluster coordinators startedtheir mo#ili5ing efforts #y %isiting theresidents of the areas. They "anted tocreate a"areness in the community a#outtheir pro+ect. Duch to their delight9 "hiledoing so9 they found a fe" social "orkers"ho shared their %ision and "ere preparedto assist them. Dr. $#dullah $sim "as one of these supporters.

The team soon reali5ed that the ma+ority of these social "orkers had political moti%esfor helping the *ro+ect team. Ao"e%er9 they found Dr. $dullah $sim to #e differentfrom the others. Ae "as only concerned "ith the "elfare of the community. Aehimself "as running a school in the area and understood the predicament associated"ith child la#or.

ully cooperating "ith the team9 Dr. $#dullah offered his o"n school premises tohouse the center in the e%enings. Ais support did not end here. Ae acti%ely took partin all community mo#ili5ation acti%ities. ealous of the success of the center9 somepolitical entities had started spreading false rumors a#out the center and its team.Dr. $#dullah once again came to the teams rescue and called onto the local

community9 e:plaining the pro+ect goals9 o#+ecti%es and #enefits the community "asto gain from this pro+ect.

Dr. $#dullah hard "ork has paid off. The $aghai center in *eer"adahi no" has

Documents

Case Studies CDL