Stories of impact
Stories of lives being changed…by education.
We serve only the poorest of the poor. And everyone we serve has a story. It is invariably a story of deprivation, tragedy, lack of opportunity ... often all of the above. But with very little help, they become stories of hope, accomplishment, triumph, the capacity of one to grow if only given an opportunity ... and above all, of the indomitable strength of the human spirit. Creating these stories is our mission ... and more and more of them.
Rukhsana: From Flood Victim to Teacher
Rukhsana has faced a lot of trauma in her young life. Her family lost everything in the Balochistan floods of 2010, and was forced to move to Karachi to start anew. Her family settled in Razzakabad, an impoverished area with no schools, social services and basic infrastructure. The displacement affected Rukhsana and her family greatly. At 14, she had no schooling and little hope of a professional future.
She could not speak Urdu—the national language—and felt disconnected from the community. She joined our first MicroSchool and in an extraordinarily short time, made great progress in English, Math, and Urdu. Education dramatically unlocked her potential and has changed Rukhsana’s life.
Today, this highly motivated 16-year-old is a Teach the World facilitator. Not only can she speak in Urdu, she teaches other children too. In Rukhsana’s own words: “Now there is so much hope in our lives.”
Sohail: Igniting a life-long love for numbers
Sohail and his family were living in Larkana, Sindh when his father unexpectedly passed away. With little financial means, his mother had to move in with a generous brother in Karachi, who ran a small mechanic’s shop. At 12, Sohail was an apprentice at his uncle’s shop. He had no education. His mother discovered our MicroSchool nearby, enrolled him there ... and Sohail’s life changed.
Within months, Sohail learnt how to read, write and do basic math. In the process he discovered his own talent for numbers and began to apply it. His uncle was illiterate and had NO accounting system for his small shop, with no record of what he had collected, what was owed to him, by whom, etc. With his new found knowledge, Sohail started an accounts register, and started recording inflows, outflows, money owed, etc.
His uncle was very grateful as this allowed him to manage his business significantly better; his mother felt immensely better as she no longer felt as much of a burden on her brother; and Sohail was proud of being able to put his knowledge to work and pay his uncle back for his generosity. Sohail now believes that many of his dreams are possible.
Waqar’s Story: Aspiring police officer
Waqar is a bright 11 year old who had only spoken Sindhi (his local language) all his life. When he joined the Teach the World Foundation MicroSchool in March of 2021, he struggled to communicate in Urdu, the primary language of instruction. However, within a month Waqar was able to communicate in Urdu and English. He also learnt basic math, which significantly boosted his self-confidence.
He proudly says: "... I want to study for many more years." He currently apprentices at a mechanic's workshop after school and dreams of becoming a police officer when he grows up.
Sanjana’s Story: Finding community in the classroom
Sanjana used to go to a traditional school but was forced to leave due to bullying by her classmates. She got the chance to continue her education in a warm and supportive environment when a Teach the World Microschool opened in her community.
Sanjana's self-confidence was shaken when she faced prejudice, but today she stands out as one of the brightest students in her class. Her confidence restored, Sanjana happily helps her teacher manage her class, gathers all her classmates for their assigned sessions and hands out nametags – and is already showing great potential as a future community leader.
Zulfa’s Story: A bright road ahead, imparting her learning to others
Zulfa is a bright young girl who never had an opportunity to learn because her parents couldn’t afford the school fees.
When the Teach the World MicroSchool opened in her community, Zulfa was able to channel her curiosity toward learning through educational games on the tablet. She also took up the role of helping her teacher prepare the classroom for the day.
Zulfa hopes to be a teacher someday and her future looks bright.