Pakistan today has nearly 26 million children out of school. It is a haunting reminder of the gap between constitutional promises and lived realities. In this context, Fareezah: The Educational Initiative in Rawalpindi, founded by Sehrish Khan Saddozai in 2016, represents both a source of inspiration and a searing condemnation of structural neglect.
Fareezah provides primary education to children of domestic workers and disadvantaged families, those sidelined in policymaking. Beyond teaching up to grade 4, it helps students transition into government schools, proving that poverty or lack of documentation should never be a barrier to learning.
However, the uncomfortable truth persists. Despite the efforts of committed individuals like Ms Saddozai, education remains a constitutional duty under Article 25-A, one the state has failed to fulfil. Fareezah is a model of what becomes possible when vision meets commitment, but it also lays bare the abdication of responsibility by the state.
Pakistan must celebrate such initiatives and replicate and institutionalise them nationwide. Champions like Ms Saddozai light the path forward but the responsibility to ensure every child’s right to education belongs to us all.
Muhammad Shahjahan Memon
Islamabad
