Our children come from homes where their parents never went to school. The mother and father both work for daily wages — labour, domestic work, anything that pays that day. Before the Qalam School, the children would roam the lanes, picking up whatever odd work they could. School was not a thing for families like theirs.
We meet them where they are. There are no fees, no uniforms to buy, no books to bring. There is a hot meal every day, a doctor when they need one, and the administrative help that makes the difference between a child who keeps coming and a child who drifts away.
What our students say they love
- That the teachers are kind.
- That they get a hot meal at lunch.
- That they can read now.
- That nobody minds the questions they ask.