About

 

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.

 

Background

 Mrs. Shabina Mustafas, late husband always had a vision for free education to the underprivileged. This was given a final thrust when her maid’s daughter was refused admission in a local school. Mrs. Mustafa took upon her to teach the maid’s daughter and when children from the maid’s neighborhood found out about an open school in her garage, 13 more came in the next day and now we have a total of 40.

TGS is formally registered as a project under the Safi Benevolent Trust (SBT). In the beginning of 2007, TGS opened a branch in Neelum colony where a large number of target population resides. There are thousands of children in this colony who are in need of proper education .The total students enrolled here are now 120.

Therefore, Please help The Garage School to arrange for a bigger space or building in the same locality.

What we do

The Garage School (TGS) is committed to providing quality useful education to underprivileged children from various ethnic backgrounds such as Muslims, Christians, Sikh and Hindus from Neelum Colony and Shah Rasool Colony which are in the vicinity of Clifton.

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.

Health and Hygiene

The school provides nutrition and food for all the children on a regular basis such as milk, eggs, fruits and fruit juices etc.

• The Garage School needs a mineral water dispenser for the children to provide them with clean water.

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.

• We need help in acquiring medical equipment and an ambulance to take the old to the hospitals.
• Appeal to people .Two students a boy and a girl need open heart surgery ,they are 6 years old .Cost  USD 3614.

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 BBA 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 3 years Matric programme. The adult literacy courses are divided into three months of Urdu followed by five months of English inclusive of one month of Mathematics.Total enrolled JULY 09 45 students

• So far 82 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 6-9. It’s a four year program.Total students enrolled are 54 as present (july09)

We need the sponsorship for the 2nd and 3rd year which will cost USD 4,800( for 2 years) for the teacher’s salary for four teachers which will cost  USD 100 per month for each

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. Ms. Fatima and 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 37..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.22 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.

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 saving survival course to Lower Toppa 
• The children were taken to The 7th Kara Film Festival to watch Kung Fu Panda.

TGS Friends and Family

I would like to thank all the Garage School friends and family specially those in Dubai 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."