At SABAQ, we are all about trying to make learning fun for everyone.

For a lot of people, that means that our content teaches kids in a manner that hooks them onto learning. On the flip side, though, making learning fun applies not just to kids, but also the people who teach them, i.e. the trainers and mentors.

One of our recent teacher training sessions was conducted for our SEF INSTAL(Introducing Smart Teaching And Learning) trainers a few months ago. These trainers teach students through SABAQ Tablets in SEF schools.

The 3-day training session encouraged blending various approaches to teaching to make students more productive. The teachers ended up having a lot of fun! They learned about teaching through play, difference between structured and non-structured play, several teaching methods, and the optimal way to use the wealth of resources in SABAQ Tabs.

Our Academic Lead, Hina Amjad, believed focusing on one subject a day would work the best. So, day one focused on English, day two on maths and day three was all about science.

The training sessions collectively involved trainers in activities they could then replicate with their own students.

“I feel that today’s session has changed my understanding of good teaching resources. I realized that numerous household things (and the things that are around us) can be used as teaching resources and it does not have to be a card sheet/paper to be an effective resource.”

– Zia Noor, Trainer

The 3-Day Training

On the first day, trainers participated in discussions about the benefits of storytelling as a teaching strategy and how to manage tech-blended classrooms.

The second day then shifted the focus to structured and non-structured play. Structured play generally sets a goal that students can reach by applying logic and non-structured play focuses more on creativity and imagination. Trainers learned new approaches and had a ton of fun doing it! They created mandalas and mock lessons with the help of ordinary household items such as pasta, shoelaces and Popsicle sticks. They even solved Sudoku puzzles, to see how interesting games can teach kids math concepts in an engaging manner.

“The differentiation between free and structured play was demonstrated beautifully by the trainer and it made me realized that play time can be a very powerful tool to improve the learning outcome.”

– Ghulam Mudasir, Trainer

On the last day, trainers learned about teaching science lessons through interactive games such as bridge-building. Ms. Amjad then continued with a discussion of why certain structures were stronger than others. The trainers also worked on an “imagination tree” to mark their progress and journey in SEF INSTAL project.

“I like the idea of creating different learning corners to facilitate different learning styles within a classroom, this can help to create a more inclusive atmosphere in the class that would in turn create opportunities for all learners to participate and thrive.”

– Benazir Qureshi, Trainer

The Takeaway
Every day ended with Ms. Amjad providing the participants with detailed feedback about their mock lessons. The participants learned new ways to share feedback and were excited to try them out. All in all, it was a very successful session and the trainers left more than satisfied!

It’s important for children to look forward to learning, but even more so for teachers to look forward to teaching them. This was a learning opportunity to show that it doesn’t take a lot to capture and hold students’ attentions. With their wild imaginations, it’s very easy for kids to picture food as the universe, and water as time.

The only thing left to do is provide them with the opportunity to let their minds expand.

Throughout the history of its existence, Village Anwar Mari never saw any of its girls receive education. Not one. It wasn’t that parents were opposed to educating daughters, it’s just that the closest school was 4 kilometers away. This meant that if parents were sending their kids to schools at all, it ended up mostly being their sons.

So, in late 2017, when SABAQ first looked into the possibility of opening a SABAQ Centre in Anwar Mari, we were met with general support and enthusiasm. No one, however, was more supportive or enthusiastic than Mrs. Champa. True to her name, Mrs. Champa has been a genuine champion in her support of education. With 3 young daughters, Mrs. Champa wants nothing more than to see her children excel and succeed. She was one of the pioneering members of the community who took on responsibility for this Centre, becoming a member of the Local Support Organization (LSO). Her strong resolve for an educated youth, directly and indirectly, resulted in the establishment of the SABAQ Centre.

The Necessity of Change

“The rooms you see being used for the Centre were originally an entertaining parlor of Qadir Baksh Mari, the landowner here. He has been very supportive throughout this process, and extremely happy for the children of people in his employ,” she mentioned. The biggest impact she saw was that children who would previously wander about aimlessly were now part of a learning structure. “I have 3 daughters, you know. I never went to school but I can see that things are different now. But they can only be different for my daughters if they learn and study. The society has progressed, and our girls need to, as well.”

Mr. Shamu, the facilitator at this Centre felt similarly. “Things have changed immensely. They [the children] used to roam around the streets until the Centre opened. They learn now and have so much fun doing it. I swear they will continue studying till 4 pm, if we let them! They’re very fond of their school, here.”

Mr. Shamu is one of the 4 members of this community who has received higher education, and takes great pride in seeing the children he teaches progress. He happily reported that all of the students, within the span of a year, had learnt enough to have gained a respectable degree of numeracy and literacy skills. He shared one of his favourite moments with us, “It makes me so happy when I see them with their parents and they greet me in English, saying ‘good morning, sir,’ or asking ‘how are you, sir?’, amazing their parents. It’s such an overwhelming moment for us all.”

The Results of Determination

One of the best outcomes to come from the Centre, according to both Mrs. Champa and Mr. Shamu is that where previously no girl had ever been educated, now all the girls in the village are learning alongside the boys. Of the 43 students in the Centre, 16 are girls. One of them even travels a kilometer every day with her brother to attend the classes. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Shamu claims that the boys and girls in his Centre are quite neck and neck in terms of performance, although he claims his student Pooja has a knack for learning that he hasn’t seen a lot. Pooja loves learning, with the Urdu letter story Pari ka Papadr being her favourite.

Mr. Shamu is even more enthusiastic about the fact that other students would also be joining their Centre soon, both from Anwar Mari and a few nearby villages. This Centre, the unending support it has received, led by a lady championing girls’ education along with boys, and willing them towards betterment, is precisely the reason we started off with this venture in the first place.

Every so often we come across children in our Centres who are born learners. They absorb information the way a dry sponge soaks up water: quickly and with unprecedented ease. Our story today is about one such child, Farhan.

Farhan’s parents have lived their entire lives in a district called Tando Allahyar in Sindh. Surrounded by a loving community, they’ve never felt the need to move out. Until Farhan came into the picture. The severe lack of schools in the area, coupled with the distance to the nearest school, was always a reason of worry for them. But then, a SABAQ Centre opened up, and it seemed like they didn’t have to worry about their son’s education anymore.

Farhan loves his Centre. He feels at home with his Tablet and class-fellows. Like we’ve mentioned, he has a natural knack for learning. He loves it all, except one aspect: the classes end too soon. He wants more – more classes, more practice time, more books to read, but at the end of the day, more to learn.

What’s more is that Farhan’s Facilitator, Ms. Amber, realises that the surface of Farhan’s potential has barely been scratched. When she’s busy coaching other students, Ms. Amber proudly asks Farhan to help students who might need extra attention, to encourage peer-to-peer learning. “He’s always willing to help his friends at the Centre. I won’t be surprised if he ends up becoming a teacher, himself.” Farhan’s wide smile at his teacher’s praise is a sight to behold.

Every day, our efforts to educate children bring rewards that we could never have predicted. Farhan’s newfound happiness at reading materials is only a part of what makes this project so special to us. Your donation, too, makes us realise that as a community, we truly want the best for each other and everyone. That we, as a community, thrive on building each other up.

Thank you. No donation amount is too small, no support is too little. Thank you, from all of us at SABAQ, and all the kids at our Centres. Your help means the world to us.