In a city where a large segment of children cannot even afford to dream of attending school, an organization named ‘Ran’aa’ is slowly growing roots and bringing hope.
Ran’raa, which means ‘light’ in Pashto, is making it possible for children to move out of the darkness associated with a general lack of education. Pakistan has, unfortunately, been plagued with the problem of illiteracy since its inception. The founder and President of Ran’raa, Mahvesh Ali Khan, hopes to change that.
“During my time at university, I was interested in social work,” shared Mahvesh. “However, my studies demanded much of my time and energy. Moreover, I did not have a proper platform where I could organize efforts to help others.”
That changed when she moved from Islamabad to Peshawar, a few years ago.
“I had a temporary job which allowed me to look around and help where needed. During that time, I began to notice that more and more youth were taking matters into their own hands. They were eager to help those in need in order to lift their community out of misfortune.”
Mahvesh came across a 17-year old Afghani youth who was suffering from last stage leukaemia. Caring for the young man was a life-changing experience.
“We interacted daily for forty days,” shared Mahvesh. “Although I was prepared for the fact that his days were numbered, his death affected me deeply, nevertheless. I came to realize that death was, indeed, a very real fact… and that punctuated another fact: life is very short.”
Having experienced death so closely and at such a young age, it took a while for Mahvesh to recover. But when she finally overcame the loss, she understood very well that she had to do her part in making a positive contribution to society while there was still time.
Mahvesh and her aunt had been raising money on and off to help fund the young man’s treatment. When he passed away, donors encouraged the duo to put the leftover sum to good use.
“We were so touched by the fact that people were very willing to help others. They eagerly donated thousands of rupees to social causes without any persuasion on our part.”
Mahvesh and her aunt began to assess needs within their immediate surroundings.
“As a teacher at a university, my heart ached for street children who should very well be in school instead of spending entire days desperate to sell their ware,” stated Mahvesh. “I noticed children selling balloons and begging in the market by my house. I thought ‘why not give these kids the opportunity to acquire an education?”
Her aunt welcomed the idea. In 2016, they rolled up their sleeves and established Ran’raa. Mahvesh had great support from her family and loved ones. However, she sensed that some people were sceptical about her efforts.
“Although nobody openly stated anything negative, it was easy to notice that some folks doubted our efforts. Maybe they wondered whether helping out four or five kids would bring any noticeable change in our society.”
Mahvesh and her aunt stayed the course. In no time, the number of students steadily grew to seventy-five. The nay-sayers were convinced and began commending their efforts. It was highly encouraging.
Ran’raa operates five times a week from 3-to-5 p.m. It costs roughly two-thousand rupees ($20) to help sponsor a child’s education for an entire month. Children are taught basic English, math, and Urdu, which is the national language of Pakistan.
A lot of emphases is placed on developing ethical and moral values. Respect and understanding flow from the top down which is why no student is ever punished.
“Fifteen of our students are teenage girls who are learning to sew. We recently incorporated the vocational learning because the girls were very interested in acquiring practical skills along with literacy.”
Mahvesh understands the need for providing proper nutrition to growing minds. That is why students are served food and milk at no charge.
“Although we started our project for street children, we now cater to low-income families and children engaged in domestic labor. We also have students who attend regular school but have a hard time keeping up with the learning… The funds that we have on hand are utilized this way instead of halting the school’s efforts altogether when street children drop out.
“The reason we expanded our scope is due to the fact that street children keep slipping in and out of the education system. We want to keep our efforts going so that these kids understand that there is a resource available to them if and when they decide to return.”
The number of students is limited to 75 in order to ensure that the kids are well taken care of.
Occasionally, surplus funds are fielded towards other situations where medical bills need to be paid for a child or a university student’s fee needs sponsorship.
The school is registered properly registered with the Department of Social Welfare. The local Nazim of Peshawar, Arbab Mohammed Ali, allocated the premises for the students. He even pays the utility bills.
“Every four months, we organize a fundraiser. Last Spring, we organized a Basant fun-fare and raised hefty sums. Next week, my cousin, who happens to be a renowned registered dietician in the UK, is visiting. All funds raised from her talk will be allocated towards supporting Ran’raa. Throughout the year, however, private donors replenish our funds.”
In the span of two years, Mahvesh has seen tremendous improvements in the attitudes of students at Ran’raa. And that gives her a sense of great pride and fulfilment.
“Our children are very happy. Despite the fact that class starts at 3 p.m., they begin arriving half an hour early. If the school has to close for a national holiday, for instance, the kids are very disappointed…
“The other day, I asked an eight-year-old boy why he likes attending Ran’raa. His response was short and simple: ‘my teacher actually teaches me!’…. I think that explains it all right there.”
To sponsor a child, please donate to Ran’raa via Bank Al Habib:
Account name:
Ran’aa Child Welfare Foundation
Account number: 5512-0081-002155-01-8
Iban:
Pk29bahl5512008100215501
Branch code: 5512
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