Rehel Pakistan is an organization that aims to promote, protect, and enhance the safety, wellbeing, and healthy development of children. It advocates for the protection of children’s rights whether they are intellectually, morally, or physically vulnerable without discriminating them on the basis of gender, race, religion, or social background. They believe that numerous children in Pakistan are victims of the worst kinds of abuses; those who are not yet victims are not adequately protected against them either.
Founded by Zai Paul, Ali Shabir, and Ahmer Paul , they aim to help children who are deprived of opportunities. While speaking to Zai, she stated “I want these kids to have access to the same opportunities that my kids have. We aren’t allowing underprivileged children to see their worth. If a maid has a child, the child will inevitably end up working in the same field as its mother without understanding how much he’s worth. These children are capable of doing bigger things but they’re stuck in a cycle. And it is our job to help break it.” The President of Rehel, Ali Shabir summarizes the organisation in one line by stating “It’s simple. Rehel is working to protect kids and teachers through education and by providing employment opportunities.”
Rehel not only helps children but also budding teachers.
They train and hire some women within the comfort of their homes. These teachers are then responsible for educating children in their local communities such as mohallas or gullys, giving these kids access to school facilities conveniently. The classes are given within the homes of teachers which increases safety and comfort as well. The teachers are paid sufficient salaries which enables them to run their own homes while pursuing a career that inevitably helps the future of Pakistan. They’ve also launched the Rainbow School System that is a free primary school initiative. It’s a community-based school system in poor communities and has four branches in Lahore to accommodate those children who have no access to educational infrastructure. The Rainbow Club is for kids that are suffering from terminal or chronic diseases. Kids can come to the facility and spend quality time. Hospitals have provided these spaces free of cost but Rehel still needs to bear the operational charges so donations are important.
Rehels focus isn’t only on education but also on the nutritional wellbeing of kids.
Free meals are given to kids on a daily basis to enable them to be healthier and improve educational performance. They have a free education program, free food program and a free medical aid program which suggests that only educational training isn’t their aim but in general, the overall welfare of kids. These programs help decrease rates of child labour and child abuse, an issue which haunts Pakistan since decades.
Apart from this, Rehel also fundraises for children who are sick such as cancer patients. They cover all the expenses, from hospital runs to chemotherapy sessions.