Poverty, Deprivation, Child Labour and Lack of Access to Education

Andleen and Mansoor are ambassadors for Mansoora Bazar, a STAR school supported by PAGE, an umbrella organisation working towards bringing gender equity in education.

Anyone that knows us, knows we value fairness and justice for every child regardless of gender, nationality, age, location or anything else. Everyone deserves access to an education.

During the pandemic, there was a high drop in girls numbers from this school as many were forced back into child labour to support their family.

Together with PAGE we’re working on bringing girls back to school and providing them a safe space to grow and develop without the worry of providing for their family's through child labour.

Lahore, is the the 26th largest city in the world and has been declared as the “City of Literature” by UNESCO because it is a historic city that is rich in vibrant culture and heritage. Unfortunately, it includes some of the poorest areas as well. Mansoora is a small town where the residents of this area have mostly migrated from nearby villages in search of better economic opportunities.

In most cases, all family members work to make ends meet. The children are victims of child labour due to extreme poverty. These families are unable to earn enough money to provide food three times a day so the children join hands with their parents to pay rent and to pay for their basic necessities.

Parents dream of providing an education for their children but unfortunately, it's not affordable. The government schools are just too far.

STAR School Mansoora is a light for the families living in Mansoora Bazaar. Fundraising means free education to the children of the area. This has a total of 30 children. Teacher Afshan Naz shared that almost all the children work in the mornings and then come to to study. PAGE Pakistan provides uniforms, books, stationery and other essentials to the students as well.

PAGE is also responsible for organising a breakfast programme called "Feed A Paratha'' for all students costing Rs 1000 per month per child to ensure all students will at least receive one filling and nutritious meal a day. This amount is included in our fundraising efforts.

Feel free to check out the wonderful work of PAGE on https://page.org.pk