Helping the youth of Lyari shine, one student at a time

Motivational speaker Naveed Pardesy helps youngsters achieve true potential

KARACHI: Roaming the city on his dilapidated motorcycle, Naveed Pardesy wants to retrieve the hidden talent of the people of Lyari and help the youth outshine their counterparts in the rest of Karachi.

Pardesy, who has been heading the Youth Development Organisation Pakistan for the past year, is working to improve opportunities for the youth of Lyari, where he has lived for more than 20 years.

The one-man army spreads awareness among the youth by giving lectures on leadership, entrepreneurship, mindset and attitude by visiting different schools on a weekly basis. He is often joined by volunteers but no one works with him on a permanent basis. "We have covered around 70 government and private schools in Lyari so far," he said. For the ones who are out of school, they have set up a small one-room centre where the children are also taught the basics of English, Urdu and Mathematics.

With the aim to give at least 80 lectures in a year, Pardesy has managed to deliver 35 so far. "We do not only work in Lyari but also try to help students in Keamari, Ranchor Lines, Malir Halt and Surjani Town," he said. The main targets for the lectures are students in classes IX to XII.

"We conduct pre- and post-[evaluation] tests for the sessions to [assess] what the youngsters understood and how they can make a difference in their surroundings," he explained.

To start his project Pardesy invested all his savings and got funding from a few friends to purchase a projector, laptop and a poster to be used as a backdrop during his lectures. "The initial cost for all of this was Rs50,000," he said.

Similar projects

The Taleem-e-Balighan project was started by 16-year-old Hunain Abbas who, like Pardesy, wanted to help the people of Lyari. His aim is to spread awareness among residents who have never attended a school.

"We are 10 people who have the same mindset and are working for the betterment of Lyari," said Abbas, who approached the local Chatani Jamaat for permission to use their office, located near Lyari's Khadda Market.

Majority of students and youngsters in Lyari spend their time playing games or sitting around with friends, he said. "Our setup will keep them away from bad habits," claimed Abbas.

He explained that a majority of youngsters in Lyari suffer from low self-esteem and feel isolated from the rest of the city. They believe they are somehow inferior to other people, he said, adding that this has led to the youth not believing in themselves or their abilities.

Hamza Muhammad Faisal, who attends Abbas's classes, was of the view that instead of sitting outside on the road and wasting their time it is better for kids to be among those who are working for the locals. "I was free after my Matriculation exams and wanted to achieve something in life," he said. Faisal uses the lessons he learns from Abbas and Pardesy to teach his five siblings at home. The duo sometimes partner up to teach students.

The classes

"We have set up three classes according to age," said Abbas. He said most of the students during their 8pm to 9pm class are those who dropped out of school due to financial reasons. The second class, between 9pm and 10pm, hosts students who are enrolled in a school but need extra help. The third class of the day is held between 10pm and 11pm and is open for students over 20 years of age.

The class for older students is held separately, in order to spare them any embarrassment or shame at studying alongside young children, he explained.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2016.