Nadia’s story with SPARC’s Centre for Street Children (CSC)

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SPARC’s Success story.
By: Fatima Nasir Raja
 
Nadia a 21 year old from Peshawar KP joined SPARC’s Centre for Street Children (CSC) in March  2016.  Nadia had only attained primary education due to lack of resources. While talking to SPARC, Nadia stated that her parents really wanted for her to study further but couldn’t afford it. “As a child I didn’t mind dropping out of school. I always found my teachers unnecessarily strict and burdening. I now understand the implications of it…”, she said.
Like many households in Pakistan, Nadia started working at a very early age to contribute to the family’s succor. She started with domestic-maid work, which she described as ‘cruel’.
“Employers pay you too less and make you work around the clock as you live with them. They’d pay me even lower as I was uneducated”, she said.
Coming to SPARC’s Center, Nadia was enrolled into a 2 months course during which she learned tailoring and curtain making. Nadia proved to be a very quick learned and very particular with her work. ‘I learnt about the center through a friend. After my course, I started taking orders for stitching and designing. I also make curtains and uniforms for private schools’.
Nadia has maintained a steady demand for her services. In her spare time she comes to our center to help other women with their vocational training.
“I can never repay what the center has given me – I pray for all the women in the center from my heart.”
Established in 1992, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) in Pakistan works broadly on a range of child rights issues with special importance to the girl child issues including nearly child marriages and harmful traditional practices, thus addressing the overall system and policy framework combined with service delivery.
SPARC is a partner of GIRLS Inspire working to mobilise skills training for girls and women to prevent child, early and forced marriage.
Learn more about our work in Pakistan here.
Photo credit: Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child

2 thoughts on “Nadia’s story with SPARC’s Centre for Street Children (CSC)”

  1. Dear Fatima,
    Thank you very much for sharing Nadia story. Nadia is an example of what GIRLS Inspire stands for, she uses her new knowledge and skills to inspire other girls. I am looking forward to meet Nadia one day and to hear more stories like Nadia’s.
    All the best with your good work.
    Frances

  2. Fatima, thanks for sharing the story of Nadia. It gives me a lot of hope……and I will be getting in touch with your organisation just to draw fom your experiences and see how I can also enrich our own project. Stories like these are so inspiring and are a beacon of hope. You are doing a great job, giving hope to the hopeless…….Congratulations on the good work.
    Mzi

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