By Zara Hasnain | Manager of Programs
Urooj speaks softly but confidently. “I just gave my board examinations for ninth grade, praise be to Allah. And in grade eight I came in second in my whole class.”
Urooj is currently a student in the Secondary Sponsorship Program which is part of the I am Paid to Learn initiative. It is preceded by a two-year accelerated primary schooling program which is taught to those children who have not had the opportunity to go to school in their early years. After successful completion of the accelerated program, students are not only given support for admission into grade six at a formal school but also given a full scholarship till Grade 10. Urooj is one such diligent student who is getting an education through this sponsorship.
Urooj used to live in Wazirabad with her family where in fact she did go to school till the second grade. However, her family’s financial situation was not ideal. Her father’s difficulty in finding a stable income and her mother’s poor health, forced them to make the difficult decision of leaving their hometown Wazirabad for a city that could promise more economic opportunities: Lahore.
In Lahore, as her father struggled to make ends meet, she didn’t go to school for a few years. Instead she worked from home. “I used to make artificial jewelery. I would bring the material home from the factory. I would put together the metal parts and then at the factory stones were set into the base I created. I was paid 30 rupees for every 500 grams. But I missed going to school. I wanted to study more but in Lahore my parents couldn’t afford it. It’s expensive you know. But then I learnt about the Paid to Learn program from a friend. And I’m just so grateful…” Shortly after, Urooj stopped working so that she could focus solely on her education. Over the years her family’s financial situation has stabilized and her father now has his own automobile workshop.
As for her mother, Urooj tells us that she remains ill as a result of a liver condition that she developed several years back. Being the eldest sibling a lot of the responsibility of managing the house falls on Urooj. However, she is an optimistic and precocious young girl. She didn’t complain about her difficulties at all. Whenever she started describing a personal problem she was quick to end it with “but it’s okay.” When asked how they manage their mother’s treatment as it must be expensive, Urooj hesitated to reply and then merely said, “we do our best, with the help of Allah”.
School serves as a haven for Urooj where she continues to outperform her peers. She tells us “I love what Paid to Learn does. They give an opportunity to those who can’t afford it otherwise. I only wish that they could continue to sponsor me after my secondary education too. I would really love to become a doctor if given the opportunity.”
Having seen her parents ill health, Urooj believes health care should be free for all. As such, she aspires to be a physician. Please continue to donate so that Urooj and children like her can get closer to making that dream a reality!
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