The incredible story of Faris passionate about Education and sports
Aik Thaa Faris… Taleem aur Khel Ka Diwana”
Digi Kutub Khana (DKK) a combo word “digital+library”. DKK is all about ‘community and individual learning from a trunk’. A trunk that has over 150+ books for all age groups, a tablet, maps, board games including chess, scrabble, ludo, arts and crafts starter pack. The trunk lands in communities who are in need and welcome such an asset to be shared by all and where there are educated volunteers willing to be ready hosts in their village, believers in learning for all. When all elements are aligned a living learning library (L3) can become that magical energy to mobilize children, youth and adults for learning and transforming lives in remote communities. Such is the story of young Faris a grade 7th student in Mubarak Village, Kemari (a border village of Sindh adjacent to Balochistan) only an hour away from the megacity of Karachi.
The idea of a “Digi Kutub Khana (DKK)” came almost as a vision, while I was driving down the mountains of Gilgit. Having visited villages near Hopper Glacier and others near around Passu Peaks, I was impressed with the children and youth; their yearning for learning and books, but they had few options. Everywhere we found young educated people who were enthusiastic about extending support to their communities for learning!
The contents of such libraries in a box would be a range of books catering to 3-20 years of age, board games (chess, scrabble, ludo etc.), maps to have a sense of place, stationary and a digital tablet. The tablet would have learning materials covering academics, life skills, songs and films, so that the host communities can enjoy the wonder of books, digital skills, songs and engage in critical thinking and imagination! The DKK would be the collective asset of the community, owned by them as they deemed appropriate; it could grow with local mobilization of books, ideas and, above all its people.
For DKK to work, it would need one or two educated volunteers who would receive the gift with responsibility and ensure that children and families would read the books, learn digital skills, play board games, locate themselves on a map, borrow books overnight and read to their families. This would be done with utmost trust and care, where young leaders could commit to the envisioned collective good! The first such community to test the DKK was Mubarak village by the sea, in Kemari, Karachi bordering Hub and Gadani in Balochistan
We were introduced to a very settled, unique Baloch-speaking community who had been living there for more than 200 years and engaged in fishing for livelihood, sadly a village with little amenities; the community is very committed to education. There was a school built by a former mayor of Karachi (Mustafa Kamal) through municipal funds and teachers’ posts were sanctioned too. The harsh sea salts had corroded its windows and doors but the floor, walls and the roof remained intact; the classrooms nonetheless buzzed with learning and graduate teachers from the community who had completed their degrees in colleges in Karachi or nearby towns. There were 300 enrolled children and some very dedicated teachers; the school boasted some exceptional students; one such student was Faris Ali in grade 6 who could read with fluency in Urdu and English; he had also gained a reputation as a junior football champion. Faris is a source of great pride in the village. We went to his home to meet his mother and two brothers. The father had gone for his usual long fishing trips; he was the real energy behind Faris; it was his dream to see his son educated in an excellent school, and why not?
A fine and firmly built agile child with sparkling eyes and an endearing smile, Faris always stood out in the group! Be it in his reading of storybooks or on the beaches of Mubarak Village kicking a football as a young capable junior league team player!
His conversation with friends was of respect and love at the same time … encouraging, believing in them and loving them above all for all the enrichment he derived from his peers by the sea in his village and school.
His father expressed that his utmost wish is to see him in a good school that will change his life, where he could reach his potential. The library team communicated that desire and we asked the PLF adviser, Ms. Zobaida Jalal, an ardent educator and the Federal Minister for Defence Production if she could help as the family is poor and cannot afford it. She immediately suggested that Faris should try for the merit-based scholarship of Ormara Cadet College. Books from the Federal board were mobilized for Faris and sent to him for the preparations. Sadly, Faris lost by just 1 mark or so we were told! That was heartbreaking! But we did not lose hope and Ms. Zobaida Jalal immediately sent another option of an entry test at the Hub School now called Hub Cadet School, another boarding school with O and A levels! Faris sat for the merit entrance test working as hard as he could. In Feb, 22nd we heard that Faris had passed the test and soon after they communicated that he would be given relief up to 75% on fee and other charges would be waived! This was a dream come true. And we mustered philanthropists to mobilize the funds for 25%! That being mobilized, the pathway to transformation was all clear.
Today Faris is successfully placed in the boarding of the Hub Cadet school. As mentioned by his father that ‘it is not only the life of Faris that will be transformed but our generations will be transformed!’. Such is the power of learning and quality education! Faris wants to excel and exceed; he wants to be known for his education capabilities, filled with passion to fulfill his father’s dream of higher education. Above all, he seeks to bring major transformation to his village and education for all the children. From a municipal school by the sea, full of dreams and inspiration, son of a fisherman and doting mother, a brother to two other siblings, Faris is now all set to go to the Hub Cadet College to do O and A levels as a game-changer and ambassador for his village and community.
Faris Ali’s journey is a story of aspirations to learn, persistence, believing in one’s own efforts above all and reaching out to people and pathways to opportunities to realize possibilities to learn with excellence. Let’s not forget the power of the Digi Kutub Khana to create social capital in a community that believes in the magic of learning and reading!
o be cont’d… the story of “Aik thaa Faris”
Baela Raza Jamil, CEO ITA and Founder CLF/Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF)
Ref: https://www.dawn.com/news/1238607/mubarak-village-a-forgotten-part-of-karachi
Funds from Abroad
Title: IDARA-E-TALEEM-O-AAGAHI PUBLIC TRUST
Account Number 1001-937423-0036
IBAN Number PK63ABPA0010019374230036
Swift Code ABPAPKKA
Bank name Allied Bank Limited
Branch Code 0531
Branch Address Bank Square Model Town , Lahore
Currency US Dollar
Funds from Pakistan
Title IDARA-I-TALEEM-O-AAGHI PUBLIC TRUST
Account Number 001001-937423-0088
IBAN Number PK17ABPA0010019374230088
Swift Code ABPAPKKA
Bank name Allied Bank Limited
Branch Code 0531
Branch Address Bank Square Model Town , Lahore