News Desk |
Mohammed Ayub, more commonly known as Master Ayub is a Pakistani philanthropist who works in civil defense and is renowned for his work in educating the less privileged in his humble yet busy open air park school. A school recognized by government authorities.
In his own words, when he came to Islamabad, he saw the privileged in their fancy cars, their spotless clothes, and their civil behavior but his attention quickly diverted to a few kids whom he saw involved in odd jobs(child labor) which made him question the structure of society. Upon approaching some of these kids and asking them why they don’t get an education, the responses became his purpose to do what he does today. A child working at a mechanic said that he was the sole bread winner of the family, another child without limbs had lost his parents in the same accident he lost his limbs, and those who got him treated forced him to work. Thus Master Ayub took them in and provided these children with free education and his school became bigger by the day.
The school now has children from different backgrounds, some who had been working to feed their families, others who are discriminated against and some who had no one and nowhere to go. We the GVS team got the opportunity to talk to some of these children and came to see the hardships these children had gone through. As the saying goes, give someone a fish and they will have one good meal but teach someone to fish and they will have a good meal every day. Master Ayub has taught many, is teaching many more and plans to teach many, many more on how to be self-sufficient even with minimal resources.
A school is made up of students and teachers, and even with limited resources based on charitable contributions, Master Ayub has established a team of teachers to teach the growing number of students. To add to the staff, we have volunteers from different schools, colleges and universities lending their hand to support the students and teach them a variety of subjects. The temporary staff or volunteers who have been teaching the kids have seen another face of our society which they would have otherwise ignored. Master Ayub’s initiative has created awareness in those who come from privileged backgrounds, thus allowing them to witness the problems and create a sense of empathy which would result in a positive action.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.
The school does not lay emphasis only on academics but also focuses on fun and recreational activities for the children. Some volunteers teach the children art, whilst others teach them games that allow them to bond with each other. This allows the school to scout for the hidden talents the children possess. It also allows them to maintain the balance any school needs for its children to stay motivated.
Master Ayub has managed to create an environment where children can dream big and work hard to achieve those dreams. One girl, we talked to, wanted to be a heart surgeon and her dedication towards her books even with numerous distractions was astounding. Another wanted to be an artist. A boy wanted to represent his country on the cricket pitch and another wanted to become a pilot. Before their encounter with Master Ayub, they could not even imagine doing those things but now they know they have the potential to do and be what they wanted.
Master Ayub made himself crystal-clear when he said that he was doing this for Pakistan because he believes that if he doesn’t do anything, these children would have become thieves, plunderers, beggars and even could go to the extent of falling into the hands of the terrorists. And now they have the chance of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers, and law enforcers. Master Aub is a perfect example of a true patriot and is an inspiration for his students and all of Pakistan and it was a pleasure for us, the GVS team, to meet this remarkable man.