WATCH: How Karachi youth are transforming lives with free community school

KARACHI: A community-led school established by three young volunteers is providing free education, along with uniforms, shoes and textbooks, to children in Karachi’s Katti Pahari neighbourhood.

The initiative was founded by Rewa, Faseeha and Ahsan, who chose to work in Katti Pahari despite the area’s long-standing reputation for violence and neglect.

“Rather than looking elsewhere, we decided this was where we could make the greatest difference,” one of the founders said.

The team’s ambition extends beyond a single neighbourhood. They hope to replicate the model across Karachi, Sindh and other underserved parts of Pakistan where access to education remains limited.

The school places particular emphasis on quality primary education, offering pupils a clean, well-lit and ventilated learning environment equipped with safe drinking water and other essential facilities.

More than 150 children are currently enrolled, around three-quarters of them girls—many of whom are attending school for the first time.

Parents say the project has unlocked opportunities that were previously out of reach for their children.

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“Our children always had talent. What they lacked was access to education,” one parent said, adding that the provision of free books, uniforms and learning materials has given families renewed hope for their children’s future.

Teachers involved in the initiative say educating the children is both rewarding and motivating, as they witness first-hand the impact education is having on the community.

The project serves as a reminder that determination and community action can overcome limited resources. For many families in Katti Pahari, the school is more than just a place of learning—it is a pathway to opportunity and a brighter future.