I approached Friendship House down a dusty cluttered alley deep within the heart of Charles Colony, G8/1, Islamabad. Children ran everywhere, no doorway was closed and there was a sense of openness and friendliness I hadn’t experienced since my village stay in Verokey Cheema.

Today’s program was situated at the heart of a Katchi abadi, slum areas of the city inhabited by migratory workers or lower income families that aren’t officially recognized by the city and don’t feel like part of it either. In this case Charles colony was a Christian settlement where you’re more likely to meet a Michael than a Mohammad.

As we navigated the maze we eventually rounded the corner into the bustling activity of the school preparing for our arrival. ??Three years ago the school was set up as part of a greater program on mental health called the Potahar Mental Health Association (PMHA) (link needed). The association quickly realized that the best way to improve mental health and hygiene was to provide an education. How can people improve their lives if they don’t have the knowledge to do so?

Maire Mirza began the Friendship House female literacy & pre-school program in a teacher?€?s house in Charles Colony.?? The one common truth I?€?ve seen on this ride is that that people who have access to an education value it the most and like a ladder to the stars, Friendship house instantly became the first rung for every resident in the colony.

Maire runs five programs, focusing on educating young children in the morning and working women late in the afternoon.?? Men receive classes in the evening.?? For children the goal is to prepare them to enter nearby Government schools in class one and upwards.?? For women the goal is to give all an equal chance.?? From six to sixty no woman is turned away.?? If young women are able to rejoin the Government system they are prepared accordingly. If they can’t, the aim is simply to give them the basic education to make a difference to their lives. Reading, writing, maths and knowledge.

The Best Chance at Learning

The school itself was tiny, cramped into one of the houses in the middle of the community next to a huge tent especially setup for today?€?s activities.?? Maire had provided all the facilities to give the students the best chance at learning. (e.g. whiteboards, markers, copies, wall charts and reading books).?? Every student young and old was present, yet I was particularly struck by the attentiveness of the young ones. You can tell when a ‘class’ is made to demonstrate their abilities to a visitor, but these kids couldn’t wait to show off their English or tell me their ABCs. ??The environment was fun as the incentive to learn came from the students themselves.??

The show put on by the community afterwards, demonstrated the rich and vibrant culture of the Katchi abadi through many different forms of song, dance and comedy - even the nursery class performed. Maire cares a lot for these children and had put a lot of thought and time into arranging today. My appreciation goes out to all her efforts.

Touring the Kathia Bari later we were able to interview several of the parents of the students of Friendship House. Munawar Masey was one. He was luckier than most as he had a job in the Ministry of Foreign affairs. He had eight children and couldn’t tell why. His wife was more educated than he was!?? Akhtar Saleem was another.?? She was around 24 with four children and was herself a student in the female literacy program. She wanted to have an education so that she could be employed. Her husband was a CD stall owner and together they wanted to move onto a better life.

Final thoughts…

A city doesn’t express itself through its large buildings or fancy architecture, it shows its vibrancy through its people.???? The day to day souls that keep the machinery moving and pump the blood of a nation through it veins. The song, dance and laughter of Islamabad lies in her Katchi abadies, yet continually Pakistan society ignores such settlements, only justifying their existence where the residents can be employed as servants or labourers.

Six thousand people live in Charles Colony and Friendship House is the only school.?? By putting more children through the Government system and giving more adults an education, people can see the value of an education and see a way to improve their lives.?? With an education, these people can share a higher respect and greater ambition.?? Basic English and literacy skills can open the door to jobs serving foreigners and offer an unlimited potential to lay one?€?s own path through life.

When I approached SPO three months ago now, I asked them to find small needy schools that truly represent education for all in Pakistan. This is one such a school. Run by the community, expanded by them and embraced by them; a shining jewel for their hopes and dreams.

NEEDS

Marie Mirza is a one woman crusader keeping Friendship House alive on a month-to-month basis and it can?€?t carry on.?? Long term financial funding from a reliable source is needed for between one to five years. The school requires 286,000 Rupees (approx. ???2500) per year to survive.

UPDATE:

Marie?€?s efforts have attracted the attention of the Pakistan Government since my last visit and now a state run Adult Literacy Centre has been opened in Charles Colony.?? Friendship House still runs a pre-school for young children there and in 2005-06 all 40 pre-school students (aged 5-10) were accepted into nearby Government schools in class one (and some directly into class two!).?? Friendship House is proving so popular, students are now being requested by nearby Federal schools who wish to boost their own results!

The Friendship House program has opened up a new adult literacy centre in another Katchi abadi of Islamabad called Musharat for thirty working women and as of November 2006 its activities stand as follows:

Charles Colony

• A class for 35 pre-school children to give them the encouragement and confidence to complete a Government education.
• An evening class for 12 boys and men to boost their own literacy and job prospects.

Musharat Colony

• A class for thirty working women aged from 10 to 20 to improve their lifestyles and prospects.
• Classes for 15 children of displaced Earthquake survivors, who having lost everything, are unable to afford to put their children back through school.