It gives me real pleasure to introduce Sindh Singhar Initiative, started in December 2020 amidst Covid-19 when we would go out on long drives from acute lack of socialization.
My husband and I would often drive to Haleji Lake which is 100 Km from Karachi, Pakistan. There we met with communities of local anglers who lived in abject poverty. Gradually we got involved in working with them for their betterment and this resulted in mutual trust. One day they invited us to their village. Gradually this involvement went up a notch and we found ourselves thinking about the future of the many children that we met on our visits. In line with my calling…. providing education was the obvious next step and with community’s participation, we launched a three-month pilot project to educate the children. With twenty- five children from the village called Darya Khan Goth and one teacher, this ninety-day pilot project took off in December 2020. Student attendance, teacher attendance and community support was outlined as measure of success for this pilot. To our joy, the pilot achieved more than 90 % success on all three fronts. Today we have five schools within a twenty- five km radius, ten teachers, one project officer, one coordinator, three hundred and eighty children, five caretakers and thousands of parents as well wishers.
In addition to Sindh textbook board books, Sindh Singhar students use gamified applications delivered on android tablets to learn English, Urdu, Math, Sindhi and General Knowledge. Our classrooms have self- learning stations that promote self-confidence and peer learning.
Professional development of teachers and monitoring student learning are core to Sindh Singhar schools. Interactive CCTV cameras installed in each school serve these objectives well.
We are extremely proud to say that the children show continuous progress. Please note that this was the first time in centuries that education was introduced to these remote villages in Sindh. As one can expect the work is extremely challenging and reasons are many, but primarily that education is a new concept in these communities. On the other hand, we also notice the difference Sindh Singh Initiative is making in terms of literacy, numeracy, cleanliness, discipline, social manners and valuing education. This exhibits the cooperation we are getting from the communities and the willingness amongst the children to learn and progress. In short, we are witnessing the power of education to transform lives, and it is humbling to play a part in this historic shift.
As we look back on the last three years, where students were promoted to higher grades and forty-two students today have passed Grade 2 with merit, we are filled with gratitude. With online accelerated learning classes held daily in the evenings, we are helping these high achievers pass Grade 3 in less than four months. However, our work is far from over. Our focus remains on bringing education to out-of-school children in the heart of Sindh. Community participation continues to be the bedrock of our initiative.
Join us on this incredible journey. Let us connect, collaborate, and make a difference together. Your support will be shaping futures and creating a legacy of change. Together, we are not just building schools; we are building dreams.
With hope and gratitude, Shirin and Shahab Husain
Founders, Sindh Singhar Initiative
