Despite Roy’s status as a popular Rock star in Pakistan with millions of fans, he has made many personal sacrifices to make Zindagi Trust in Pakistan and its American subsidiary successful. His days are a wind whirl cycle of managing his organization and music career. He works amiably with an unwilling Government, authors opinion pieces in newspapers, writes inspiring musical albums, outreaches to the Pakistani media to stress the importance of quality education; all while performing Zindagi Trust charity concerts around the world. He has received threats from people who resist an enlightened Pakistani future. Remarkably, the down to earth Roy leads a minimal life as the proceeds of his concerts and music benefit Zindagi Trust. With five hit albums, he released the revolutionary 2008 album ‘Qismat App Kay Haath Main Hai,’ (Fate Lies in One’s Own Hands) which became a runaway hit in Southeast Asia and has won numerous awards.

Roy was honored as one of the youngest ever recipient of the Tamgha –e-Imtiaz for his organization’s earthquake rehabilitation in Kashmir and he was also awarded the Sitara-e-Eisaar; both are the highest Civil Honors awarded in Pakistan for distinction in serving humanity. He was selected to be a torch bearer for the 2008 Olympic Torch relay as the pride of Pakistan. Recently, Roy took the city of Chicago by storm when he was awarded the 2009 Patricia Blunt Koldyke Fellowship award for excellence in social entrepreneurship.

10.5 million children in Pakistan are currently employed in factories, cottage industries, on the streets as vendors to support their families and are deprived of education. At the age of 25, in 2002, Roy pioneered the concept of I-am-paid-to-learn that provides child laborers with monetary compensation for attending Zindagi Trust educational units. The vocational and practical teaching methods along with incentives for children to attend make it a viable solution to Pakistan’s urban illiteracy. Roy has established 35 educational units with 3000 children being educated in the most impoverished regions of Pakistan.

Even though the program was a great success, Roy realized that the “I am paid to learn” initiative was not enough to educate the masses. Of the almost 28 million kids that are in school, nearly 19 million, or two-thirds, attend public schools. Unfortunately, the public schooling system in Pakistan has completely collapsed. The school culture, from kindergarten to grade 10, has become one of rote learning, cheating, bribery and many other vices. So even after students spend 10 years in a public school, they have no critical thinking skills and often can not even write a letter in proper Urdu, their own mother tongue. The textbooks used in these schools are literally several decades old!

“Everyone is worried about the millions of children not going to school,” Roy says, “but I’m just as worried about the millions of children who are going to public schools!” In 2006, Zindagi Trust along with Bookgroup (a partner organization) attained management of SMB Fatima Jinnah Girls Government School in Karachi, from the government. Roy’s objective was to turn around this public school into a centre of excellence and then push the government to replicate it in all public schools of Pakistan.

A typical government school, it was abysmal before its makeover. The eroding buildings were on the verge of collapse with broken sewage lines, no drinking water and unusable bathrooms. Stray dogs had taken residence in the enormous school premises which became shelters for drug addicts at night. Government-employed teachers taught at their convenience while students’ attendance was poor. Roy completely turned it around with renovation, academic and administrative changes. Facilities such as a library, cafeteria, computer lab, health room, audio visual room were built to provide underprivileged students a full academic experience.

Roy was attacked for trying to bring Pakistan’s outdated school curriculum into the 21th century: “Trying to alter the mind-set of the people is the most grueling task,” he says, “and therefore we have to battle with forces that are too complacent with the status quo.” For the first time in the history of Pakistan, Zindagi Trust replaced the out-dated government textbooks with thought- provoking and imaginative textbooks. Modern learning modules were introduced such as art, photography, rollerblading, rowing to nurture individual talent. These students are now participating in sports and art competitions and are winning against top private schools.

The school is now well known as an academic centre of excellence. Roy’s aim is to set up a similar model in every province and achieve a critical mass that will give him the muscle to urge the government to replicate this model in all public schools of Pakistan.

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