Meet the little library fighting girls' illiteracy in Pakistan
(photo courtesy of Manal Rashid)
16-year-old Manal writes about taking matters into her own hands when she opened a library in a small town in Pakistan — with the help of a local bookstore owner: the Faimah Asif Library.
In Pakistan, our children are born. Girls yearn for knowledge but are left scorned. Illiteracy grips and takes control. They are left despondent as a whole.
As a child, I would run through my local library almost every day. The fresh smell of the pages, the sound of people’s hushed whispers about books, the words I could feel on my fingers. I would spend hours and hours in this particular library, captivated by the endless authors and stories put out for people like me to read and get inspired by. In addition to these books, my library hosted a variety of different activities to engage readers and bring our community together.
Reading transported me to enchanted fictional worlds that I would be unable to leave until I finished a specific book. My passion for reading has always been a core part of my identity, allowing me to learn more about myself and connect with characters who may be facing similar obstacles as me. Without books, I would not be as far as I am today.
Pakistan battles many issues, like poverty, lack of resources and corruption. Oftentimes, people living in these conditions are not able to afford necessities for their families — let alone education fees. Generations of children grow up uneducated because resources remain nonexistent, and poverty continues. Growing up in the middle class in the United States, I have always observed contrasts between my home in the U.S. and my family’s home in Pakistan. I knew firsthand that being middle class in America is a privilege, but being middle class in Pakistan can mean barely getting by.
“My passion for reading has always been a core part of my identity, allowing me to learn more about myself and connect with characters who may be facing similar obstacles as me. Without books, I would not be as far as I am today. ”
When I visited Karachi in 2022, I realized how stark the difference was. It was a barricade for many students all across the country — excluding them from certain career paths. Some children could not attend schools due to high costs, and even if they could, they were not provided substantial resources, allowing illiteracy rates to soar.
I came to know of a county in Pakistan called Orangi Town where the overall illiteracy rate for people residing in this region was 63%, and for girls aged 5-16 years old specifically, it was 74%. In addition, there were no libraries or general resources for children to be able to learn. Even if these resources were made available, boys’ education was prioritized over girls’. Girls were destined to be married off early: uneducated and unhappy.
After reflecting upon the challenges Orangi Town’s people were facing, I decided to work to open a library that would contain free resources for anybody to borrow books. The library would work like any other library and have a wide range of books available, such as storybooks, textbooks, religious books, and so much more. I spoke to a man living in Orangi Town who had dedicated himself to providing free education and resources for children in the area. Despite his commitment, however, he lacked resources and funds, which prevented him from expanding.
His visions and mine aligned to open a free library in Orangi Town, and he was willing to work on it with me.
From there, we found a bookstore owner who was offering a few shelves of his shop for the library. We named the library after the man’s daughter: Faimah Asif Library.
From the United States, I raised hundreds of dollars to go toward the library. I also obtained book donations, with many being from Orangi Town itself. I made flyers and infographics for the library to indicate the need for donations and reached out to communities in Orangi Town on social media.
With the funds and months of preparation, Faimah Asif Library opened at the beginning of this year. I planned to help decrease the illiteracy rate for girls in Orangi Town. This led me to the idea of holding workshops as an alternative to education, for children who could not attend school. These workshops would consist of volunteers helping children of all ages, focusing on girls specifically, to facilitate reading, writing, and math.
Since its opening, Faimah Asif Library has shelved over 900 books that are used every day and workshops are once a month. Having free access to books and teachers gives the people of Orangi Town a way to obtain basic education and scholastic resources. Fatimah Asif Library also gives people a way to connect with their community through events.
“I hope Faimah Asif Library continues to help generations of women in literature and educational purposes. I hope that girls can use this opportunity to obtain high-level occupations, and one day, help other girls like them.” (photo courtesy of Manal Rashid)
I want to broaden the Faimah Asif Library into other regions of Pakistan. The library has made a significant impact on the people of Orangi Town and I want that impact to spread across the country. I even want to expand the library in Orangi Town itself. The library currently consists of a few shelves in the back of a bookstore, but I want to open a freestanding location that will contain comfortable lounging areas and a proper place for workshops.
Most of all, I hope Faimah Asif Library continues to help generations of women in literature and educational purposes. I hope that girls can use this opportunity to obtain high-level occupations, and one day, help other girls like them.
In Pakistan, our children anticipate. Girls’ hopeless yearns for knowledge mitigate. Difficulties arise but they forge their way. The future brightens as illiteracy decays.
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