JEDDAH, 2 November — In any Third World country children of school age can be seen loitering about or doing odd jobs to support their families. They are not sent to schools but to workshops to earn some quick money. Same was the situation, sometimes back, in a remote village situated in the midst of desert, about 40 km from Jeddah on the Makkah Highway.
Wadi Marikh is a settlement of Sindhi and Balochs who had come to Saudi Arabia over three decades ago. Away from the hustle and bustle of the Bride of the Red Sea, this village is home to about 500 poor families. Their children, particularly girls, were never allowed to go to school earlier.
However, the winds of change have begun sweeping this remote land — thanks to the tireless efforts of Pakistan Welfare Society (PWS) which has been doing everything possible to improve the lot of Marikh children.
Formed in 1996 by a small group of enthusiasts — led by a prominent Pakistani, Ahsan Rashid — the PWS is determined to change the future course of hundreds of poor children in and around Jeddah. Street urchins of the past are attending classes in schools run and governed by PWS.
A girls’ school was set up in Marikh about four years ago. From a few students and a teacher in a tiny tented-building in March 1998, the school today has five teachers looking after 90 girl students in a building of its own. Aged between five and 14 years, these girls attend classes between 1 to five.
Headmistress at Marikh school, Faheema Khalid, who along with five teachers travel from Jeddah to Marikh everyday says, "We are a big family here. We learn together, help each other and share our joy and sorrows."
The annual expenditure of the school is roughly SR11,000. All the students have been sponsored by individuals who donate SR50 to meet the expenses of a student. Anyone can sponsor a child for a period of minimum three months by paying SR150.
The school provides stationery, books, note books and other accessories to the students free of cost. Total expenditure incurred on this school, till date, is approximately SR183,110.
Since there is no electricity in the village, a generator has been installed to provide electricity. But the school does not have air-conditioners only fans are used to beat the scorching heat — and the students as well as their teachers are fairly contended. They never grumble.
One of Rashid’s friends, Zulqarnain Ali Khan, has financed the building of the school. Former Pakistani ambassador’s wife Surraiya Kamal has played an important role in procuring land for the building. The Pakistan Consulate has recently granted an amount of SR24,000, but it has not yet reached the PWS.
Besides girls school, the PWS also provides financial support to Ashab-e-Soofa boys school in Marikh.
Another school for poor boys was launched by the PWS in Gowaizah district of Jeddah in October, 1998. Now the boys school also has eight teachers and 150 students, this school is up to Class 5. The PWS bears the cost of 60 percent of the students studying here, while the rest pay nominal fees. A dedicated man, Muhammad Niaz is the headmaster of this school. Annual expenditure on this school is in the vicinity of SR15, 000.
Both Marikh girls school and Gowaizah boys school follow Pakistan Federal Board courses, and the examination for these schools are conducted by Pakistan International School’s teachers. The overall performance of the two schools has been very good, with 65 percent of students moving to higher classes.
Rashid, who has been recently nominated by President Pervez Musharraf as a member on the Overseas Pakistanis Advisory Council, is in a sense, a pioneer in setting up community-funded schools. He is a man with a vision and a mission.
He believes in setting up institutions of reasonable academic standard, with limited resources, but with focus on shaping the students’ career and personality.
Besides imparting education, the group also works to improve the social communication and cognitive skills of the students. Rashid says, "We are not just interested in imparting them education but in developing their overall personality. Our aim is to improve their quality of life."
He adds that the group also seeks to get the students absorbed into mainstream society.
"Someone had to step in and help this unlucky and less privileged children, especially when the society seems to have given up on them. Their poverty and ignorance are no hindrance at all and they are just like other children in the society," Rashid said. But stressed that "nothing is possible single-handedly and thanks God I have a team of dedicated workers who work with great."
Others, who are also actively involved and dedicated to the cause of the PWS, are Khalid Mughal, who looks after finance, Yaqoob Mirza and Asif Khokhar.
"It’s been an uphill task but we never give up. Every student here is driven by an inspiration and a source of motivation," Rashid says.
Apart from setting ups schools here, the PWS has also sent relief materials worth SR300,000 to drought-hit Balochistan, in Pakistan, last year. The group also installed hand pumps for potable water in 150 remote villages of Balochistan and is planning to open schools in these villages.
