Educating Pakistan’s Brothel Children

As part of our ‘Children of the World’ campaign, this project supports some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in Pakistan. We support informal street schools set up across the country, which provide learning opportunities for children without access to mainstream education. Our goal is to demonstrate how education can be used as a means for them to realise their potential and to create opportunities for the future. In the main cities of Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar, the children of sex workers are almost invisible to the rest of society. But if you look closely, you will find them in the backstreets; often working in dangerous conditions trying to earn what they can for their families. They spend their days on the streets and return at night to sleep on brothel floors. They face malnutrition, physical and mental abuse and are prime targets of trafficking. Under its ‘Children of the World’ campaign, Muslim Charity has a single purpose and that is to support street children wherever they are. We support multiple education projects across Pakistan that seek to help disadvantaged children through innovative learning environments, with the aim of preparing them for mainstream schooling. These projects are set up near congregational points for children, such as railway stations, shrines and slum neighbourhoods. Our social mobilisers are trained to engage with young people and advise and guide them if they are in any immediate danger. So far, we have engaged thousands of children across multiple cities and have successfully enrolled over 100 children into mainstream schools. This means they are not just receiving a good quality education but are also kept away from the dangers of street life.