In a small village in Sohawa, Jhelum District — in the rolling hills of northern Punjab, Pakistan — ten-year-old Aisha did not feel comfortable holding a pencil. Today she reads aloud, writes her own name, and dreams of becoming a teacher. Her story is a small one, but it is the kind of small story that adds up to something enormous when you multiply it across a village, a district, a generation. This is how one child’s future was opened through education — and how you can sponsor a child like Aisha.
A village without easy access to school
Aisha grew up in a small village in Sohawa, in the Jhelum District of Pakistan. Her days were spent helping her mother, Rabia, with household chores and looking after her younger siblings. Like many girls in rural Pakistan, she had little access to good education, and going to school regularly seemed impossible.
The reasons are familiar to anyone who has worked in rural development. The nearest school was too far for a small girl to reach safely. Family income was low. Cultural norms meant a daughter’s time was often more useful at home than in a classroom. For thousands of girls across rural Punjab and Sindh, this combination of distance, poverty and convention closes the door on education before it ever has a chance to open.
“And whoever is given knowledge, has been given much good.”
— Qur’an 2:269
Rabia’s hope for her daughter
Aisha’s mother, Rabia, often wondered what the future would be like for her daughter.
“I never had the opportunity to learn to read or write myself. I wanted something different for Aisha, but there was no nearby school where I felt she could learn safely and regularly.”
— Rabia, Aisha’s mother
This is one of the most quietly painful sentiments a parent can carry: the awareness that your own missed chances are about to repeat themselves in your child’s life, and there is little you can do to break the cycle.
The day a school opened in the village
Things changed when a new community school opened nearby, giving local children a chance to learn close to home. For the first time, Aisha could go to class every day — safely, locally, and consistently — alongside other children from her own village.
At first, she was shy and did not want to speak in class. She had trouble recognising letters. She could not write her name. The teacher made room for her quietly, and her classmates — some of whom were in the same position — made room for her too. With consistent attendance and patient teaching, the recognition came. Then the writing. Then, one day, the first proud read-aloud.
“Whoever follows a path in pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.”
— Prophet Muhammad ﭐ (Sahih Muslim)
The day Aisha read aloud for the first time
“The first time Aisha read a page from a book aloud, I couldn’t believe it. She was so proud, and I was proud too. It felt like a door had opened for her.”
— Rabia
Now Aisha can read simple stories, write full sentences, and complete her homework on her own. She likes Urdu the most, and she has begun talking about what she wants to be when she grows up: a teacher.
How education changes more than a school day
Education does not stop at the classroom door. Once a child can read and write, the rest of their world starts to read and write back. Notices, market labels, street signs, the back of a packet of biscuits — suddenly the everyday world becomes legible.
“Before, Aisha depended on others for everything written down. Now she reads notices, writes her name, and even helps me understand things. I can see how much she has changed.”
— Rabia
Aisha now helps her younger brother learn his letters — a quiet, repeating act of khidmat that compounds with every sibling and every cousin who learns from her. This is how education spreads in a community: not through grand programmes, but through one child who comes home with a book and reads to the next.
Sponsor a child like Aisha — from £15 a month
For the price of a few coffees, you can sponsor a child’s school fees, uniforms, books and shoes. Photographed and reported back to you, every year, with the child’s name.
Why supporting girls’ education matters so much
The evidence on girls’ education in rural Pakistan is some of the strongest in the entire development literature.
- Educated girls marry later. Each additional year of schooling delays marriage by roughly half a year on average — and that delay is associated with better health outcomes for both mother and child.
- Educated girls earn more. Every additional year of schooling raises lifetime earnings by 10–20%, lifting whole households out of poverty across a generation.
- Educated mothers send their own daughters to school. Once one generation has been educated, the next almost always follows. The pattern locks in.
- Educated communities are healthier. Mothers who can read can read medicine labels, vaccination cards, and school reports. The impact on child mortality is direct and well-documented.
Education is, in short, one of the highest-multiplier acts of charity available to a Muslim donor — ranking alongside water as a form of Sadaqah Jariyah. Every child you sponsor is a future parent, a future provider, a future teacher.
One child at a time — the change is already visible
Aisha’s teachers say she is a motivated student who almost never misses school. As her confidence has grown, other families in the village have started sending their daughters to school too. The school’s daughter-of-the-village enrolment has risen each term since opening.
“Education has given my daughter confidence and hope. She talks about her future now. She believes she can achieve something, and that means everything to me.”
— Rabia
This is what a sponsored school does. Not just literacy, not just a future earning potential — but hope, in a mother who had given up on it, and in a child who had not yet learned what it was.
How DHT delivers child sponsorship
DHT’s education programme runs across Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kashmir and Yemen. Every sponsored child has:
- A named case file — you receive the child’s photograph, age, location, and guardian details
- An annual photograph and short school report
- A registered guardian who receives the monthly support directly
- A safeguarding review conducted by our local team
- A full lifecycle of support — from school fees to uniforms to books, and where possible, vocational training as the child grows older
We do not run residential institutions. Evidence is clear that children fare best in family settings, so our sponsorships keep children with their surviving parent or extended family, with the support paid directly to the household.
Sponsor a child like Aisha — today
If Aisha’s story has moved you, the most powerful next step is the simplest one: sponsor one child. From £15 a month, you cover school fees, uniforms, books, shoes and stationery for a child like Aisha — for a full school year. From £180 a year, you sponsor the entire programme.
You can also set up a regular monthly sponsorship, so the support never lapses. Each sponsorship can be in your name, or in memory of a loved one — an enduring Sadaqah Jariyah whose reward, by the grace of Allah, will keep flowing every time the child reads.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to sponsor a child in Pakistan?
DHT child sponsorships start at £15 a month, which covers a child’s school fees, uniform, books, shoes, and stationery. A full annual sponsorship is £180.
Can I sponsor a specific child like Aisha?
Yes. Once you commit to a sponsorship, we send you the named profile of a child — with their photograph, age, location and guardian details. You receive an annual update including a photograph and a short school report.
Is child sponsorship Zakat-eligible?
Yes. Children living in poverty fall within the ‘poor and needy’ categories of Zakat recipients (Qur’an 9:60). DHT allocates Zakat strictly to Zakat-eligible children. See our Zakat calculator guide.
What if my circumstances change and I can’t continue?
You can pause or cancel any time. Where possible, we will move the child to a new sponsor immediately so their education is not interrupted.
Why does girls’ education matter so much in rural Pakistan?
Educated girls marry later, earn more, raise healthier children, and almost always send their own children to school. Educating one girl lifts an entire family, often a whole community.
Aisha’s real name has been used with her family’s consent. Her family has reviewed and approved this story’s publication. Photographs are shared with the consent of Rabia, her mother and legal guardian. DHT’s child safeguarding policy can be read here.
