Off the streets and into schoolroom

120 street children are now enrolled at the FixIt School in Gulshan-e-Iqbal

KARACHI: Sitting on colourful chairs, under the shade of neem trees, 120 children have discovered new hope in education at the Fixit School.

Spread over around 400 square-yards of space on Abul Hassan Isphani Road, the FixIt School began a month ago with only 27 children and the aim was to provide free-of-cost education to the children of the nation.

"The children here are mostly street children and work in the morning," said a teacher at the school, Razia Junaid, adding that most of the children who study here sell tissue paper or flowers outside universities, work as mechanics’ assistants or clean car windshields at traffic lights. Some female students also work as maids.



Students at the school have been divided into three sections - level zero, where students who have never been to a school are placed, level one, where students who have basic elementary education are placed, and level two, which comprises students who abandoned their studies due to financial issues but have basic education.

Many children at the school have either never had formal schooling or dropped out due to financial issues. PHOTO: YUSRA SALIM/EXPRESS

"We have given the students uniforms, copies, books and basic stationary items," said the head of the school, Sobia Butt. While distributing files to students, she said they do not allow the children to take the books and stationary home. Instead, they have made files for each student, with their names printed on the front, which they give them every day at school.

A year ago, the project proposal was put to FixIt founder Alamgir Khan. "The compound was empty, so we thought; why not make use of it? We met the parents and convinced them to send their children to the school in their spare time," she said. Sobia also said that they also conducted training sessions for teachers, as it is challenging for teachers to teach children who have never had any previous formal schooling.



There are 35 people working at the school, including two guards, 22 female teachers, 10 male teachers and a head teacher. "Teachers work here voluntarily and each teacher works every alternate day. The school is open five days a week,” she explained.

Some students work as housemaids, while others clean windshields at traffic lights. PHOTO: YUSRA SALIM/EXPRESS

Teachers at the school arrange their own transportation and mainly live in Saadi Town, near the airport and in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

"The main challenge with these kids is to teach them manners," explained Sumbul Butt, a teacher at the school. She said first teach the students basic etiquette such as how to sit, how to keep themselves clean or how to behave with teachers.

A majority of the students at the makeshift school walk almost half-an-hour to come and study, as most of them live in Azeem Goth or Quaid-i-Azam Colony. "I reach school in 10 minutes, as me and my friends run here and, if we’re lucky, we sometimes get rides from vans that are passing by," said Farhan Khan, a first-time student at the school.

The children are provided uniforms, copies, books and basic stationery items. PHOTO: YUSRA SALIM/EXPRESS

Twelve-year-old Abu Bakar, who is the eldest of five siblings, helps his father stitch clothes and then attends school. "I want to be a doctor and for that I will work hard and earn money to complete my education," he said resolutely. Dua Nawab, who sells vegetables with her mother in her neighbourhood, used to study at a government school but never enjoyed studying due to lack of faculty and teachers’ interest. "I enjoy studying here and I have not missed a single day since I joined," she said proudly.



So far, Rs70,000 has been spent on the school, all of which was collected by the teachers and through donations. "Iqra University donated the chairs to us," said Sobia.

The FixIt School will be expanding to other areas and will soon be setting up their new campus in North Nazimabad.