The Garage School is committed to providing a useful education to the under-privileged children in and around the Clifton area. We hope to form a socially, financially and environmentally self sustaining model that is accessible to many, so that individual development may follow a sustainable path.
The Founder
Her name is Shabina Mustafa the wife of Late Flight Lieutenant Syed Safi Mustafa. She was widowed at the age of 20 with her 2 month old son, Zain. She completed her B.A Honors in Sociology from the University of Karachi after her husband’s death. From 1974 onwards she worked with Saudi Airlines for 32 years. The day her husband’s news came to me as “believed missing or killed”, the same day she attended her convocation at the University of Karachi. Her mother who was her pillar of support said “that chapter is closed and you have a new life ahead of you now”.
She started her life with just two plates and kerosene stove in a one room apartment in Mauripur, Karachi. She fought for her husband’s gallantry award (Sitara-e- Shujaat from Government of Pakistan) for 22 years. Finally, after going through many hurdles she received the award in 1994.
She got the idea for the Garage School in November 1999 and dedicated it to her husband who always wanted to educate the poor and the underprivileged. The school is an extension of her family. My aim now is to upgrade two of the localities where most of the children of the school reside: Neelum Colony and Shah Rasool Colony.
From the floor to the school desks was a slow and steady progress. A friend gave her a plank of wood which were balanced on a cement block. Soon after she received a small blackboard, given to by her nephew, followed by the desks and benches given by her brother. After two years she was lucky to be sponsored by Sheraton Hotel. The Manager went out of his way to take care of us. At first he upgraded the school looks by tiling the floors and painting the walls. He even gave us 5 bicycles so that the boys could go to attend computer classes, not to forget the luxury of being invited on and off to the Sheraton hotel for parties etc. This gave them a lot of confidence and our first step in grooming the children. We even had our first handicraft exhibition there. The children fondly remember Mr. Thomas OPSTAL.
One day while talking a lady running a boutique in Karachi, donated our school uniforms free of cost.
Later she met Mr. Abbas Vawda. A gentleman behind the sponsorship scheme. He visited the garage and asked me “Where do they go from here? Why don’t you send them to formal schools?” So that was the time that he decided to sponsor six children. And thus the seed was sown for the children’s future. Next year he sponsored another 10. He preferred girls to the boys and to this day he is in constant touch with us.
Then an in Dubai, seeing how malnourished these kids looked, gave me the idea of giving them milk and biscuits for nourishment. So she started writing to various companies for milk and biscuits. Haleeb Milk Company gave them milk for one year. English Biscuit Company started giving biscuits and to this date. The children look forward to their daily biscuit treat. Now milk and juice is supplied by volunteers.
Soon a company Wartisila started giving uniforms, shoes, and sweaters on regular basis. They also provided with colorful desks and stools for the new Garage school extension.
Health care was another issue. Dr. Khalid Bhambha was introduced to her through a friend. All our children yearly get their ENT, blood grouping and blood tests done. We had 4 ear operations at his hospital. Blood grouping was important as this was to be printed on their I.D cards so they could be given blood in case of accidents as they all walk to school.
This it how it all began and we have now grown to become a big happy family. Patron and philanthropist from all over the world now sponsor a child for as little as $15.00 a month. This includes the cost of tuition fees, uniform and mid-day snakes for students of poor and underprivileged families.
What we do
The Garage School (TGS) takes a holistic view on education. it lays great emphasis on the overall grooming of the children so that they become good human beings.
The TGS adopts an ‘inter-faith’ approach where children of all faiths study together, learning to respect their colleagues regardless of their faiths.We hope to form a socially, financially and environmentally self sustaining model which shall be accessible to many, with the hope that humanity and individual development will follow a sustained path.
Where we are
Garage 1:
The ‘original’ Garage School is located in Clifton, still in Mrs. Mustafa’s garage. This branch houses 45 students, from Nursery, Junior Prep and Senior Prep. Here 3 permanent teachers and 2 regular volunteers are teaching. The Garage has three classrooms, 1 room is 12 by 12 feet (garage) and 2 rooms are 20 by 8 feet (open area covered under the shade of a tree)
Garage 2:
After expansion, a large proportion of students was moved into a building in Neelum Colony. This location accomodates the remaning 150 morning students, and afternoon students. We have 10 regular teachers and 4 volunteers, headed by Almas Sadiq (Volunteering as Academic Coordinator)
Health and Nutrition
The school provides nutrition and food for all the children on a regular basis such as milk, eggs, fruits and fruit juices etc.
One of the students, Happy Maxwell, who was taken to Chennai, India for open heart surgery last year is now enjoying a wonderful childhood like the other children around him. The picture shows Maxwell on Mrs. Mustafas birthday.
Sylvester a student who had skin grafting done of his legs last year suffered from severe burns on his arms and legs. He was taken for an operation at Patel Hospital where skin grafting was done for him. His leg is now recovered.In May 09 his arm was also operated upon and now he has recovered and back to school .
The Garage School now has appointed Dr Aniqa Khan, as a full time doctor for the school. On her first three visits at the Garage School, 15 students along with their parents came to her for a checkup out of which six required X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests.
Through the free medical treatment we want to penetrate into these homes of the children to find out how many old people need medical attention and can be treated and taken to better hospitals who would otherwise die unattended due to exorbitant price of medicines which is beyond their reach.
Education
Our school has a holistic view to education. Students learn real and practical skills(handicrafts, salon training) on par with academic subjects so that such vocational training can provide structure and dependability to the children’s lives. Our student Anil Singh, got a chance to enroll at Bahria College for the B.Com program and is now working full time and earning money not only for himself but for his family as well.
Adult Literacy a Big Achievement of the Year 2008
The Garage School started its Adult Literacy on 22 Jan 2008, with 25 women. The first session was completed in Aug, 2008. These classes are held in the afternoon and includes parents and others from the same locality.
Adult Literacy program is an eight month course and after completion they can opt for the 4 years Matric programme. The adult literacy courses are divided into three months of Urdu followed by five months of English inclusive of four months of Mathematics.Total enrolled MAY 2011′ 178 students
- So far42 students have completed the adult literacy classes .
- We need to open 10 centres ,in the locality within their homes so that more can be enlightened from this programme .
Matric Programm- An Achievement for the Year 2009
Our matriculation program provides a platform for the under-privileged and the adults both men and women above the age of 14 years who have never been to school so that they have a chance to pursue happiness and a prosperous future and can be absorbed by different companies. Four classes are held for ladies 3-6 and for the men is 3-8. It’s a four year program.Total students enrolled are 54 as present (May11′). Recently,from January 2011, 82 ‘street kids’ were enrolled. thus, giving them an opportunity to open their windows to the world|
We have got the sponsorship for the 1st and 2nd year but we need a sponsorship for 3rd year and 4th year for adult literacy which will cost USD 7,652( per year) for eight teacher’s salary, books,uniforms,shoes, milk, biscuits,dates, bananas,medicines and multi vitamins.
Another Milestone- Teachers Training Programme conducted by Mary Reik
The teachers training program was started recently. Mary Reik conducts the teachers training twice a month. She educates the teachers and gives them different teaching techniques.
This is to help our teachers in Garage School and also those teachers who are from schools located in and around the same area. With this program the teachers learn different techniques of teaching and together can promote and increase the level of education in all the schools.
Conversation Classes
Saturday the school is closed but it is a busy day for the teachers of The Garage school. As most of the teachers come from the same background we stress on their education therefore, helping them to raise the level of education. Volunteer students from different schools come to have conversation classes with the teachers.
Carpentry Class
It is mandatory for the students to join carpentry classes so that they can gain some vocational skills which would be helpful to them in the future. Those children who go to school in the afternoon are made to come in the morning.
The carpenter is there the whole day teaching these children how to make different things. The children are taught to make benches and chairs for the school.
Sewing Class
The sewing classes were started due to the developing interest of women who wanted to learn sewing, cutting and embroidery. We hired a professional teacher for them and now our total strength is 62..We hope that open a Garage School Cottage Industry where these females can stitch clothes and sell them and this in turn can help these women earn more money and upgrade their livelihood.
Mehndi application Classes opened JULY 09
With the introduction of this class many girls will earn applying Mehndi during the month of Ramadan
Music Class
Music is food for the soul and it breaks the monotony of the usual classes.The children enjoy it thoroughly when they sing the different songs and in this manner learn the different countries of the world, planets in our solar system etc.
The Saving Project
Besides education both formal and informal the Garage School also stresses on the habit of saving money for future use. So that these children know the worth of money from the early age and can save their own money for future use.
The Garage School Bank Accounts
The garage school also believes in instilling the habit of saving in children. One of the bathrooms in the school was turned into a bank where the children had placed their piggy banks which were provided by Shabina Mustafa.
The piggy banks have now been transformed into separate bank accounts at Bank Al-Habib. Thanks to the introduction of the Young savers scheme with just a minimum of Rs.5. This was done with the help of Mr Shahzad Head of Consumer Banking Department Bank Al- Habib Ltd. This was an added plus for the students and brought smiles to their faces.32 accounts have been successfully opened in Al Habib.
Selling to Save- Recycling Project
The Recycling Project and first aid awareness program started on 23rd January 2008. We provided stitched cloth bags to these families for proper disposal of glass, paper and tin which they would sell to save money for their future use. This project is called ‘Selling to Save’ which will eventually lead to opening bank account.
TGS Achievements
- 47 children have been registered into schools of Karachi including St Patricks and NASRA.
- 8 girls trained and are working in beauty salons
- 8 students have completed their first course of carpentry
- The Garage School has appointed a full time doctor for the children
- A four year Matric programme has recently started
- Adult Literacy classes are taking place
- Three of our teachers recently got married
- Mary Reik conducts the teachers training programme with two classes in a month
- The children were sent to the Pakistan Air Force for a sailing course and saving survival course to Lower Toppa
- The children were taken to The 7th Kara Film Festival to watch Kung Fu Panda.
- In March 2011, 139 students were sponsored to watch the play “Sabz” at Arts Council.
- In November 2010, class 4 and 5 students went for a week to activity classes.
- In August 2010, students took active participation in flood relief for Thatta and Dadu.
TGS Friends and Family
I would like to thank all the Garage School friends and family specially those in Dubai,Abu Dhabi,Doha, Jordan, London, New York, Canada, Australia and Bangladesh who have always stood by me in supporting me, sponsoring my students and in catering to the needs of the Garage School.
Shabina’s dreams seem to grow each day; now she longs for a building of her own so that she can worry less about the monthly rent and above all the need of a ground where she wishes someone could build a gymnasium which will be open to the underprivileged at a nominal cost so that they can channelize their minds to sports and get them off street violence and bad habits. Finally, have a public library either in a building space or in a mobile van so that people who waste their time gossiping can come read the news paper and have a ‘cup of tea’.
“I wish my dreams will be fulfilled one day.” 