Southwest Elementary Helping Develop Young Pakistani Minds

Think back to your childhood when you were preparing for a new school year. Your parents might have helped as you collected your markers and pencils, prepared your lunchbox and laid out your school clothes. For many youngsters, the first day of school is seen as an epic adventure of sorts, filled with excitement and wonder.

Now think about that same first day of school without those items that are seen by many as essential for success and growth in learning.

For the students of Sabawoon School in the small village of Hayatabad, Pakistan, this is their daily struggle. 
 

Many of these children, some as young as 7, work to support themselves and their families, and many have to do without simple school supplies.

But with the shared efforts of psychiatrist Dr. Samina Khattak and the help of local reading heroes from in Evergreen Park, new and gently used books and other school supplies are being sent to the youngsters of Sabawoon.

Sabawoon School was started in 2001 with the help of Khattak and her family. Her father, a retired schoolteacher, helped found the school in the town where she grew up, with two other volunteers and just 20 students.

Khattak’s father and his friends were professors and, according to Khattak, “they (knew) the importance of education. Their purpose in starting this school was to teach these children life lessons and educate them so that they would have a future. 
 

“The school doesn’t have so many resources,” Khattak added, “so we want to help with providing that. Our job is to plant the seed and realize a hope for these kids who want to study.”

With the help of Southwest Elementary, Khattak and others are doing just that.
 

Khattak and her colleague, Cindy Kamp, a pharmacist and fellow PTA member, brought the story of Sabawoon School to the attention of PTA Board President Kate Bradley. With the support of other PTA members, Bradley joined in the collective effort to gather supplies for the students in a spring-themed book fair sponsored by Scholastic, from which a portion of proceeds went toward purchasing each item.
 

“It all started through a fall-quarter book fair titled ‘Reading Heroes,’ where students ages K through the 6th grade were encouraged to think about heroes in their lives that supported them in reading, learning and growth,” Bradley said. “Because the students were so receptive to the theme, both faculty and staff challenged each youngster to be a hero in their own right and share with the students at Sabawoon.”

Bradley said this program essentially is “back to basics, (where) kids are being kids.”

It presents students an opportunity for learning and fostering an environment for growth and development through a simple lesson of sharing and caring.

“We’re doing this so that our kids understand that (obtaining an education) is a privilege” and not an opportunity every child gets, Bradley said.

“I would love (for) my kids to gain an appreciation for how important it is to give,” Kamp said.

The children of Sabawoon go to school for six hours each day, then work afternoons and nights as house servants and vendors in local markets for wages to support their families, Kamp said. It is a constant struggle for them to provide for themselves daily, and Southwest Elementary wants to assist in any way it can.

Bradley, a pastry chef by trade, came up with the idea of a world culture night for the school year beginning this fall, in which she and other volunteers prepare several dishes native to Pakistan and teach Southwest Elementary students about the area’s history, culture and traditions. They then would finish the night with a Skype session between the students of Southwest and Sabawoon.

The plan, according to Bradley, is to gather all of the students and read books together.
 

“We try to expose the kids to as much as possible,” Bradley said. “Kids are visual people, and if they could see the children (in Pakistan), it would be better to share (our) message.”

This is the first time that Southwest Elementary School is attempting something of this magnitude, and the hope is to continue supporting the students at Sabawoon School by communicating with them on a regular basis and encouraging students to stay in touch with their new peers by writing as pen pals.
 

“We don’t quite know where all (of) this may lead, but we want to set up a relationship so we can support these children in learning,” Kamp said.

Since 2001, Sabawoon School’s volunteer staff has grown from a humble cluster of three to a group of 15, accommodating more than 65 students each week. Because of the recent influx in enrollment at Sabawoon, more school supplies are needed to support these students.

Anyone interested in contributing to the effort to help Sabawoon School should contact Southwest Elementary School at 708-424-2444.