CHANGE IS POSSIBLE!
Open Hands Global is dedicated to providing quality education for impoverished marginalized slum communities of Pakistan. The commitment is much bigger than just to fund bursaries and transport to attend English medium schools, we are invested in children succeeding and assimilating in mainstream communities. The children are equipped with school uniforms, books and supported through a robust after-school program.
AFTER- SCHOOL PROGRAM
Previously we had reported that we were using a beneficiary home to run the after school program for the children attending Station school 2. Although we were very thankful for the free space, it was cold and we were not able to set up a TV or a locker for a library etc. We are excited to share that this October we were able to afford renting a portion of a house in the community. In order to bring the rental space up to a usable standard we have had to spend a substantial amount of resources. The space has been upgraded with new paint, locks on the door, running water for the bathroom, ceiling fans, lights and furniture. We now have a TV, a white board and a mini library cupboard. There is an official office with a printer and computer that allows us to generate handouts for the children. We are excited as this will allow us to add 15 more children next year with no additional space requirement.
Previously the children sat on a dusty floor in an outdoor space to work on their after-school curriculum.
The new rented space is equipped with a remodeled functioning bathroom, brand new furniture, a flat-screen television and a whiteboard.
All this was made possible by our generous donors and we are so appreciative of your support!
This space will work wonderfully for the after-school program until we are able to complete our Community Centre building project.
This Christmas we want to share the story of one of our students, Daud Younas. He is 12 years old and is in grade 6. Daud was selected for the program in 2016 when he was 10 years old. Daud comes from a family that has a daily income of less than $3, lives in a 2 room home with 4 elder sisters and 2 parents, a total of seven people. He is the first to be educated in his family.
Daud is exceptional because he was already going to a government school when we accepted him into the program. He was selling channa chaat (chickpea) on a street stall to pay for his minimum school fee. The sad news is that if Daud continued the education he was trying to give himself he would not have improved his lot in life – in fact he might have been even more frustrated later in life when the realization came that he was not equipped to compete in the real world.
DAUD’S STORY
The good news is that Daud is now receiving quality education in an English medium school and competes extremely well with his peers. Daud is in the top 5 in his class and recently received an award in an essay writing competition. Daud loves to play cricket and is torn between his dream to become a cricketer or a doctor. He also has a wonderful voice and his talent is blooming with new singing lessons introduced in the after school program. We look forward to seeing how Daud grows and excels in his many God given talents.
Building a Community Centre
