Over the years, I have realized that I won't be able to bring all the street children into “I am paid to learn schools” and this initiative even at its best will be a drop in the ocean. Therefore, unless interventions are made to reform the mainstream public schools, where majority of Pakistani children study, the situation is unlikely to improve. Children in these public schools are rote learning and do not develop any critical thinking skills. They can't even write a letter in Urdu, their mother tongue.

In 2006, we took over the management of a public school called SMB Fatima Jinnah Government Girls School. The objective was to turn it into a centre of excellence with the hope that government would replicate the model all over Pakistan. For the first time in Pakistan, we replaced decades-old government textbooks with imaginative and thought- provoking textbooks. We now have innovative learning modules like sports, rowing, photography as well as an outstanding audio-visual room, art room, computer lab and other facilities that help children discover their individual talent.

I am very proud to report that a SMB student won a bronze medal in the 2009 Inter-school Education Olympiad art competition and the rowing team won medals at the Inter schools Regatta 2009 and 2010, and this was just 1 year after these activities were introduced at the school. The point is that there are Sadeqains and Newtons in our slums and on the streets, but they will only emerge if there are equal opportunities for all.

SMB continues to grow everyday. Our latest addition is a student horticulture club. I am also happy to report that we have successfully merged 1 of our paid-to-learn units into SMB Government School. The students have adapted very well and are performing commendably.

This has been a good morale-boosting year for me. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs awarded me with the 2009 Patricia Blunt Koldyke Fellowship. The award acknowledged my commitment to providing better learning opportunities in government-run schools. To receive the award, I spent a week in October interacting with the government and academic leaders of Chicago.

Zindagi Trust’s achievements are a result of the support and contribution from people like you. Your help makes it possible for us to make a difference to the future of thousands of children of our country.

Shehzad Roy
President
Zindagi Trust

www.shehzad-roy.com