A school for students, by students

Charity school started on footpath by NED university students expands to its own building

KARACHI: Rahul was one of eight children who used to beg in front of NED University of Engineering and Technology. Begging was bringing in good money for the eight-year-old and his family but he had bigger dreams.

Now, Rahul wants to leave his mark on the Karachi skyline. He wants to become an engineer and build skyscrapers like the ones he so admires.

And it’s not just Rahul. More than 100 children, who were either selling tissue paper or begging, have leapt at the chance to pursue a formal education near the university - all thanks to the efforts of a few NED students who saved up some money to cover the cost of educating the children.

The credit mostly goes to an engineering student named Arooha Dar, who is currently pursuing a Masters in electrical engineering.

“Like other students and university staff, I got irritated every day because of these children’s clingy behaviour and begging style, but then a turning point came in my life in November 2016 when I saw one of the children teaching the others the alphabet while the others were patiently listening,” she said.



Dar said that when she asked them about their hopes for the future, the children’s answers left her mum. “Humein baray ho kar NED me parhna hai” (We want to study at NED University when we grow up).

Dar instantly took the initiative to educate these underprivileged, but ambitious children.

She initially started teaching them on the sidewalk. It was not formal education, but she along with other friends would teach them with a focus on the social aspect of learning.  She continued this for six months until, with the help of other NED students, she got permission from the university administration to teach the children in a guard room.

“Soon, we had 20 students. I developed a network of 50 students at NED and each contributed Rs500 per month for these children,” she said, adding that they then started giving them both - an education, and proper meals.

“Before launching our initiative, we approached different private schools to enrol these children, but they were demanding huge fees, so we then decided to run our own school,” Dar said.

Eventually, the NED students launched “Tadress”, student-run welfare organisation with the singular goal of providing quality education to underprivileged children.



“We divided responsibility. Some started campaigns on social media and others directly approached well-off people to support us for this cause. Finally, we generated around Rs1 million and started building the school,” she said.

They eventually found an available site in front of the university which is viable for a school building “for the time being”.

“We have now two cemented and three bamboo classrooms with an enrollment of 110 students from the ages of three to 16,” Dar said, adding that they have now started teaching English, Maths, Urdu, and general knowledge using workbooks.  They have also hired three teachers and other staff in the school, which was inaugurated by NED University Vice-Chancellor Dr Sarosh Lodhi on June 23 this year.

Now it is not just students, but even a few faculty members of the university have turned up and started contributing their time and money.

“Our mobilisation drive continues in the nearby slum areas. There is a lot of response and many children who are picking up garbage and even street children want to enrol, but we have held further enrollment due to financial constraints,” she said, adding, “We still worry whether or not we can continue this huge task.”

Dar, who takes her master’s classes in the evening, said she has quit her day job for the sake of the school. “We developed a passion to further quality education and this school is a test case for us. If it becomes a success, we will replicate the same model in other areas as well.”

Inspired by the NED students, others studying in various public and private universities have also approached them to contribute to the cause. “Some people living aboard have also offered help. We are determined to we will take our mission to the skies and transfer a vision and dreams among underprivileged children who have seen nothing but the begging bowl,” she concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2019.