By Jahanara Shiraz | Manager, Academics (Non-formal Education)
Manan, the son of a laborer has great expectations from his life. His lives with his parents, two sisters and one brother. Both his sisters study in one of Zindagi Trust's primary schools for working children. Him and his brother graduated from the same primary school program and, being top performers in their classes, bagged scholarships to fund their secondary education. They are now enrolled in Class 8 and 9 of a private secondary school. All four siblings are position holders, consistently performing at the top of their respective classes. Manan credits his mother for their academic success. Unlike other mothers in her community, she was educated up to Class 5 and tutors the children of the neighbourhood, in addition to taking a keen interest in her own children's studies.
He developed an interest in reading thanks to his mother. She would collect pieces of newspaper used as food packaging, shape them into imaginative stories, paste them into a booklet and end each day by reading them out to Manan and his siblings. It's easy to see how he fell in love with reading and grew into a bookworm. His family's circumstances were such that he had to work as a child to support their household income, but he made the most of what life threw at him. Instead of working with his father as a laborer, he decided to work at a book shop. He goes there after school, around 3pm and works till 8pm, helping people select books. He is thankful that this job allows him the chance to read new books.
Manan says that the secret to happiness and contentment is to consider problems as a natural part of our lives and handle them with wisdom. "Problems will be like opportunities if handled with hard work and with the support of one's family," he says, betraying wisdom beyond his age. He wants to grow up and serve his nation by joining the Pakistan Army. He is very much indebted to Zindagi Trust and their supporters who make it possible for him and his siblings to get education at their best.
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