Changing lives: Riverside Community School — a ray of sunshine for the poor
School is located on left side of River Indus in Achiyon Kubyoon area
The school first started at Mission Road in 2008, but was later shifted to Achiyon Kubyoon, where victims of the 2010 floods currently reside. PHOTOS: EXPRESS
SUKKUR:
Enter the world of Riverside Community School, where teachers work hard to give hope to students from unprivileged backgrounds and gear them with wings to fly high in life.
"I want to become a doctor and serve my community", said Iqra, a student of class six, whose father sells fish in winter and vegetables during summer. "Though our community is not supportive of education, but with the help of my parents and teachers I will become a doctor one day," she claimed.
Built on an area of about 9,680 square yards, the school consists of seven class rooms and a playing ground. About 500 students are currently enrolled at the school. The school is located at the left side of the River Indus in an area known as Achiyon Kubyoon and began operations in 2015.
"The administration of the Riverside Community School is providing us free education, uniforms, books and stationary," said a class five student, Babar. "This is why I love my school." "Our teachers never get irritated, even if we ask them same question repeatedly," said another class five student, Vijay Kumar.
Dreaming big
"My parents often ask me to sit at home, saying that girls are only supposed to take care of the household, whether it is their parents' house or their in-laws' house", said a class six student, Zakia.
"But I strongly oppose this thinking and attend school regularly. Girls do have to look after their homes after marriage, but it is unjust to keep them away from schools."
Zakia firmly believes in empowerment of women and desires to change the mindset of people around her. She said many people including her siblings and neighbours objected to her getting an education but she was determined.
Zakia's sister, Sajida, also studies in class six, while her other siblings are uneducated. Zakia hopes to become a teacher to pull out other girls like her from the clutches of illiteracy.
Nowadays, being illiterate is almost as same as being blind as you cannot see the world around you, remarked Babar. He belongs to an unprivileged background so his siblings were not able to get education and had to work from a young age.
Kumar works at motorcycle service shop after school to earn extra money. "I earn Rs50 daily, which I spend at school and after school," he said with a mischievous smile. He expressed his desire to become a teacher to impart education to the needy and the poor.
"I want to join Pakistan Army", said class six student Mehrun Nisa while talking to The Express Tribune. My father works as a van driver and my mother is a community facilitator, she claimed. They are both in favour of children getting education, she added.
Beginnings
The project initially started in 2008 in a small space at Mission Road, said Riverside Community School founder Munawar Gill. After the 2010 floods, occupants of Katcha Bunder were provided compensation to vacate the area and a majority shifted to Achiyon Kubyoon. We decided to shift our school there, he informed.
The road ahead
Sharing future plans, Gill said he wants to upgrade the elementary school to a higher secondary school. This will allow the female students to at least complete their intermediate, he explained. Moreover, the furniture for the school will arrive within the next two months, he pointed out.
"We have also taken up some other community-based projects that aim to improve the living standards of people residing near the riverside," added Gill.
The project is funded by German NGO, Kindernothilfe. Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Khursheed Shah also provided funds for the construction of the school, he informed.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2016.
Enter the world of Riverside Community School, where teachers work hard to give hope to students from unprivileged backgrounds and gear them with wings to fly high in life.
"I want to become a doctor and serve my community", said Iqra, a student of class six, whose father sells fish in winter and vegetables during summer. "Though our community is not supportive of education, but with the help of my parents and teachers I will become a doctor one day," she claimed.
Built on an area of about 9,680 square yards, the school consists of seven class rooms and a playing ground. About 500 students are currently enrolled at the school. The school is located at the left side of the River Indus in an area known as Achiyon Kubyoon and began operations in 2015.
"The administration of the Riverside Community School is providing us free education, uniforms, books and stationary," said a class five student, Babar. "This is why I love my school." "Our teachers never get irritated, even if we ask them same question repeatedly," said another class five student, Vijay Kumar.
Dreaming big
"My parents often ask me to sit at home, saying that girls are only supposed to take care of the household, whether it is their parents' house or their in-laws' house", said a class six student, Zakia.
"But I strongly oppose this thinking and attend school regularly. Girls do have to look after their homes after marriage, but it is unjust to keep them away from schools."
Zakia firmly believes in empowerment of women and desires to change the mindset of people around her. She said many people including her siblings and neighbours objected to her getting an education but she was determined.
Zakia's sister, Sajida, also studies in class six, while her other siblings are uneducated. Zakia hopes to become a teacher to pull out other girls like her from the clutches of illiteracy.
Nowadays, being illiterate is almost as same as being blind as you cannot see the world around you, remarked Babar. He belongs to an unprivileged background so his siblings were not able to get education and had to work from a young age.
Kumar works at motorcycle service shop after school to earn extra money. "I earn Rs50 daily, which I spend at school and after school," he said with a mischievous smile. He expressed his desire to become a teacher to impart education to the needy and the poor.
"I want to join Pakistan Army", said class six student Mehrun Nisa while talking to The Express Tribune. My father works as a van driver and my mother is a community facilitator, she claimed. They are both in favour of children getting education, she added.
Beginnings
The project initially started in 2008 in a small space at Mission Road, said Riverside Community School founder Munawar Gill. After the 2010 floods, occupants of Katcha Bunder were provided compensation to vacate the area and a majority shifted to Achiyon Kubyoon. We decided to shift our school there, he informed.
The road ahead
Sharing future plans, Gill said he wants to upgrade the elementary school to a higher secondary school. This will allow the female students to at least complete their intermediate, he explained. Moreover, the furniture for the school will arrive within the next two months, he pointed out.
"We have also taken up some other community-based projects that aim to improve the living standards of people residing near the riverside," added Gill.
The project is funded by German NGO, Kindernothilfe. Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Khursheed Shah also provided funds for the construction of the school, he informed.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2016.