Pakistan: Street children give innovative response to COVID-19 school closures

Islamabad: Some 300 students of a local school system, ‘Pehli Kiran’ (First Ray), were supported by an NGO called Cities for Children to deliver playful learning sessions for around 1,000 younger children in Katchi Abadis (urban slums) during the days of lockdown. These activities included sensitization on COVID-19 protocols as well as literacy and numeracy sessions that ensured they did not lose their connection with education.

The 27-week long activity ‘Seekho Sikhao Saathi’ (Learn, Teach, Fellow) concluded on Saturday with appreciation of the ‘Baray Saathi’ (senior students) who engaged with the ‘Chotay Saathi’ (junior students) during the period of lockdown.

Madeeha Kiani Madeeha Ansari, Founder of the CfC, said when the pandemic started the problem was that a lot of these kids were at risk of dropping out and starting work at different places.

“Once a child drops out, it is hard to get him/her back to school. And they were worried about all the learning losses that would happen because these kids didn’t have WhatsApp or laptops for digital learning options,” she said.

CfC then stepped in to help Pehli Kiran school system that is running around 10 schools for slums kids and designed this programme.

“We plan to support other schools that are struggling to cope with the aftereffects of the pandemic and Pehli Kiran happens to be the first of our partners,” she said.

On the concluding day, the success of the innovative Seekho Sikhao Sathi programme was celebrated with street-children.

Based on a child-to-child early learning model, this involves pairing primary level senior children, or “Baray Sathi” with “Chotay Sathi” at the Montessori level, in order to carry out different playful learning activities.

During the event, children performed roles to demonstrate what the sessions were like. They also had a special song in memoriam of the children who were victims of the Army Public School (APS) tragedy.

Chief Guest Wajiha Qamar, Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, shared stories of how she was moved by the Baray Saathis’ dedication, and stated the government’s commitment to reaching out to the out-of-school children through innovative solutions like accelerated learning programmes.

The Baray Saathi “completed the programme beautifully with love and patience, and gained important skills that they will carry forward, and that is also a sign of a healthy companionship,” she observed.