Lyari Girls Café — an educational refuge

Vocational institute rehabilitates violence-affected children, girls through recreation, skill development

KARACHI: The streets of Lyari are populated by men. You see them smoking, gossiping or playing games, either on the footpath or in small gaming arcades. The women, however, can be spotted making their way through the narrow streets to the newly-established Lyari Girls Café where they study and receive vocational training.

The peculiarly named institute is set up on the fourth floor of a residential building and has a big rooftop, which is adorned with beautiful handicrafts and embroidered sheets. The place is also furnished with comfortable couches and has board games like carrom and ludo.

At present, more than 300 girls are enrolled in various courses of English, computers, hairstyling, makeup, grooming, mehndi application and other skills at the first-of-its-kind café in Lyari's Mandhran Mohallah.



Initially, it was extremely difficult to persuade girls to join the café, but now more girls are interested in joining the centre, said Aas Research and Development Organisation (ARADO) President Sultan Mandhro.

ARADO, a non-governmental organisation established a decade ago, runs the Lyari Café with the support of Terre des Hommes (TDH) – an organisation based in Germany.

Mandhro said Lyari is an area where girls are not usually allowed to leave their homes to study after matriculation. When they step out, it is to work as maids, he added.

He said the aim of setting up of the café was rehabilitation of violence-affected children and young girls of Lyari through recreation and skill development. Another was to bring these children into the mainstream.

One of the main objectives was to improve girls' education through increased access to computer technology and English language. PHOTO: COURTESY ARADO

One of the main objectives was to improve girls' education through increased access to computer technology and English language. "ARADO wanted to mainstream women of Lyari who are forced to stay home. We thought of bringing women into the mainstream so that they take part and live productive lives."

He said although Lyari is a poverty-stricken locality, its residents’ spirit of volunteerism is commendable. "All our teachers work voluntarily."

Lyari Café Project Coordinator Sassi Muhammad Khan said there is no one to encourage children, especially girls, to study. "Lyari Girls Café is the first centre for girls in the area where they can come and learn various skills."

Khan said Lyari is a place of wonder and worry. "A lot of people work here for the welfare of the community. We have to make our girls stronger so that they also get an education and play their part in the welfare of society."



She added that girls want to learn various skills like hairstyling, mehndi application and makeup just because they are discouraged at home from pursuing further studies. "People don't live in fear anymore since that period of violence is over, but their professional growth is still at a halt,” Khan explained.

English language teacher Rimsha Rani, who studied English language at the Pakistan American Cultural Centre, said no girl in her family was allowed to study after their matric. "I enrolled myself in a college and am teaching here voluntarily. Now my younger sisters and even my aunt are studying and learning various skills."

Rani recalled that when she first sought permission to study in college she was told if she studies further she will argue with her husband.

 Out-of-school children

The centre also has a programme for out-of-school children. "The future of children is associated with education. When we started mobilising parents to educate their children they didn't express any interest. We continued talking to them and, eventually, they started sending their children to the café," said Zulaikha Dawood, who works as a social mobiliser at the café. Children between five to 16 years of age are taught Urdu, English and Maths at the café.

Children between five to 16 years of age are taught Urdu, English and Maths at the café. PHOTO: COURTESY ARADO

Dawood said since the children have never been to school, it is hard to motivate them to study. "We teach them and also involve them in various games to retain their interest."

Administration Manager Kiran Usman Ghani said the café provides informal education. "We educate children for a year and then enroll them in government schools because they cannot afford private schools. We have enrolled more than 50 children in schools so far."

Ghani said children in Lyari are interested in education but due to extreme poverty, they do not go to school. Most of the children are interested in games such as football and boxing. Even girls between the ages of 10 and 18 are keen to learn boxing. "When it comes to boxing, girls in Lyari are more diligent and active compared to boys and some of them have even bagged awards in various competitions."

ARADO has been working in Karachi for the last 10 years with the core objective of building a cadre of youth in Lyari to enable them to deal with the changing needs of the world, explained Mandhro.

The organisation wanted girls to get out of the suffocating environment and involve themselves in constructive activities, he said, adding that keeping in view the violence that resulted in fear, insecurity and lack of confidence among youths, the aim was to create an environment that may create opportunities for girls to learn new things and become confident. "Computer literacy and English language courses are considered the most important vocations that a majority of girls desperately need."