Moalims

Master Ayub is definitely a legendary educationalist. A person with a normal educational background, he has taught at least two generations. Interestingly this hasn’t happened in regular schools. He teaches in open space at an Islamabad park.

Along with a number of other unsung heroes of Pakistan, Master Sahib is known to a few, despite his services for this nation. The man has been doing an unpaid job with no apparent physical reward.

His work is certainly highly commendable because, we need heroes like him. Their stories highlight courage and show the real side of Pakistan.

While talking to The Nation, master Ayub shared his story. “I had a very tough childhood because my parents passed away when I was very young,” he recalled. “Before his death, my father gave me only one advice and that is ‘You have to educate your siblings’”

Master Ayub is the eldest sibling and has five brothers and three sisters. “I made it my mission to provide them education. And for that I used to do a job in day time and taught them at night”.

“I did a number of jobs like supplying newspapers, working at a match factory, I even made lifafaz,” he said proudly. “I provided education to all my siblings till FA and BA. It has been three years since I arranged the marriages of all of them.”

In early 1980s a friend of Master Ayub offered him to come to Islamabad for job. “As I was educated, so I came here. I got a job at Civil Defence Department, but it was more of volunteer work as there was no pay for it,” he recalled.

“I worked during earthquake in Azad Kashmir, blast at Marriot Hotel, Islamabad and during many other calamities. The job was from 7 am to 2 pm and I didn’t have anything to do.

“It was during 1982 that I saw a child cleaning a car. I was surprised that in a developed city like Islamabad, a child was doing labor. So I asked him why he was not in school. He told me that his parents cannot afford his education expenses and that he is the eldest with 5 brothers and 3 sisters."

“It hit me so hard. I saw myself in that child. After that I saw 4 to 5 children doing labor in next few days and I decided to teach them. I gathered them in a park and after a few days they brought their friends.

“In very little time I got 20-25 students. But it was a market place and shopkeepers drove me out from the place. Then I started teaching in another park in a well-off society, but the residents objected. They thought I will make a maddrassa or something like that, so I was driven out from the place again. Then I came to this place in F-6 market and I’ve been here for the past 19 years.”

When asked what hurdles he faces in teaching in the open place, he said that there are a lot of difficulties, especially during rainy seasons. “I have acquired a small piece of land across the road where I first constructed mud walls and roof on tin sheets. But it was not enough as it was weak and things were stolen from there. So I constructed it twice and now it has a door and brick walls. In rain we can shift there. I am working on further improving it.”

Is there any support from government? I asked. “No there is no government or NGO support. In fact many NGOs have used my name on their projects without asking me,” he said. “But I have got awards. From the Ministry of Education in 2012 and after the Marriot Hotel blast in 2013 in which I helped people escape from the fire and my both hands were burnt. In 2014, Fire Brigade department gave me award and after six years of investigation, in 2015 Pakistan government gave me the Presidential Award.”

About the volunteers and teaching staff he said that students come voluntarily and they teach as long as they want. “They themselves tell me that which class they will take and how they will be with us. Anyone can come and give anything from money to books to pens to other stationary to the students. I never stop anyone from coming and putting their share in this mission.”

When asked about the syllabus he said that he follows the Federal Board curriculum, which is the same as other schools of the area. About his future plans he told The Nation he is going to retire from the job in 1 to 1.5 years and after that he wants to construct a proper school. “People call me a hero but for me my students are real heroes.”