Bring the light of the sun to the slum areas of Karachi, Pakistan. Let's deliver bright nights to the children eager to learn.

From August 28th to 30th, 2023, I visited Pakistan with Associate Professor Michiko Ono of Toyo University, who conducts research and provides support for stateless children known as "Bengali" in the region.

The "Bengali" are people who have faced issues of nationality and citizenship acquisition since East Pakistan, separated from West Pakistan by India, gained independence as Bangladesh.
They are originally from present-day Bangladesh or the Arakan region of Myanmar (also known as "Rohingya").
Some have obtained Pakistani nationality by meeting specified conditions, while others who cannot meet these conditions are unable to obtain Pakistani nationality. Without nationality, many children lack identity guarantees from the state and access to education.

We delivered solar lanterns to the area so that children from impoverished families in slum areas, where power outages are frequent, could extend their study time, even a little.

■Second Primary School (ZEST 145)
Located west of the first school, in a densely populated residential area, this school serves children from 20 families.
The students listened intently to the explanation of Carry the Sun.

■Third Middle School (ZEST235)
In a long-established, densely populated residential area on the east side of UMDC Road, there is Karachi's only school where 19 female students study for 10 years to acquire qualifications necessary for employment.
In anticipation of our visit, each of them had prepared handmade souvenirs.

《Home Visits》
"Street children" in Karachi who have parents and homes. However, due to their lack of nationality, these children are forced to "commute" to the streets daily.

Many children who work on the streets attend ZEST schools. They wake up at 8 AM for school, and after school, around 6 PM, they go out with their mothers to the streets. Their daily routine is to earn money by washing car windows at intersections until about 10 PM.

 

Since their father was injured in an accident and unable to work, the children each work for companies, and the youngest continues to be a "street child" instead of going to school. Their daily routine is to leave home at 5 PM, start washing windows or selling goods on the streets at 6 PM, leave the site at midnight, and return home at 1:30 AM. The father was very interested while listening to the explanation of Carry the Sun.