Twelve years ago, Lala Rukh held a science workshop for children in the slums of Karachi, Pakistan's most populous city. The kids had fun creating slime, bubbles and tiny explosions in the water.
But at the end, the child asked a question that broke Ms. Rukh's heart. “They came up to me and asked, 'When are you coming back?' – she recalls.
Ms Rukh had no plans to return.
Why did we write this
Lala Rukh believes that science teaching is not just for the elite. By connecting science to children's everyday lives through play-based activities and hands-on workshops, her social enterprise sparks an interest in learning among marginalized children.
At the time, she was living in Norway and working for a social enterprise that aims to inspire young people's interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But because Ms. Rukh's parents are Pakistani and she spent much of her childhood in Lahore and Karachi, she retains a deep connection with Pakistan.
The Karachi girl's question touched Ms. Rukh. “That planted a seed in my heart that I should take this work to Pakistan,” she says.
In 2017, she founded Science Fuse, a social enterprise that primarily educates children from poor areas, including Machar Colony in Karachi. The vast slum area is home to immigrant families such as ethnic Bengalis, most of whom are denied Pakistani citizenship. Ms Rukh now lives in the United Kingdom and logs onto her computer almost every morning at 4am to contact team members in three Pakistani cities who run face-to-face science workshops for children and teachers. She also facilitates the work of freelance teachers throughout Pakistan who teach face-to-face or remotely. To date, Science Fuse has trained tens of thousands of marginalized children.
Kanika Gupta, a Monitor correspondent based in New Delhi, conducted a video interview with Ms. Rukh in September. This transcript has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Question: You worked with children in Machar Colony, who are called “the invisible children of Pakistan.” What difficulties do children face?
Most of the community living in Machar Colony are fishermen and fisherwomen. They catch fish and shrimp and gut them. Children mostly do not go to school and help and support their parents in fishing.
The village itself has very poor infrastructure; there is no drainage system. This is the most vulnerable community in [Karachi]. There are a few schools, but they are either government schools or very low income private schools. The quality of education is never up to the standard where these children can engage in inspiring activities or learning that will give them the skills they need to live a better life.
Question: Why do you think science education is important to this community?
Because every child, no matter where he comes from, is curious. You can't say that science is only for people who have a lot of money, or people who look a certain way or come from a certain background. Every child everywhere has the right to a quality education that will enable them to realize their potential. First, build a decent life for yourself. And secondly, as a tool for solving the problems of their communities.
Science gives you the tools to find solutions. It gives you problem solving skills. It gives you critical thinking abilities. It gives you courage and resilience. And it gives you an understanding of how the world works. For such a community, science education can be very beneficial.
We teach science through play activities. This is even more important for a child who did not attend a regular school. If they don't go to school, you can't put them in a regular school and expect them to catch up like other kids.
Question: Tell me about the first scientific seminar you held in Machar Colony. What did you teach?
We contacted the Imkaan organization. They have a space called Hel, which means “game”. [in Urdu]. It is an informal learning center where out-of-school children from Machar Colony come and receive various educational experiences. We said to Imkaan, “We're in STEM education, we're making science fun. How about we introduce this to your teachers?”
These teachers, they come from the same community. If you empower them and teach them something, it will stay in society and benefit many more children.
We selected four teachers. These four teachers, especially the female teachers, lacked self-confidence and were very shy. So the first thing we did was go to Khel, gather the children around us and put on something called a science show.
We literally take very cheap materials – like eggs – and put a lot of weight on the eggs. Then we ask the children: “Do you think the eggs will break?” And the eggs don't actually break because they have such an arched shape.
We tell them that the shape of the arch actually distributes the force. You teach them structures, weights, forces. You also teach them about Newton's third law. Concepts that might seem very difficult in physics class or a physics textbook suddenly become very playful. They become very interesting.
Because these experiments use inexpensive and readily available materials, children will continue them at home.
Question: What kind of participation have you seen from teachers and students?
The teachers were very intrigued, very interested, very interested. That's the whole idea – so it doesn't sound alien. We relate it to their daily lives.
We will explain this in simple language and then encourage them to use the same language when they talk to children. And don't use that textbook jargon.
“You know nothing, we know everything” is not our position.
Pakistan's teachers are the country's largest workforce. They lack resources and are overworked. They don't often get a decent salary. So, we always create an atmosphere where we empathize with them. We tell them, “Okay, we're going to work with you, sit with you, and teach you everything we know. And also learn from you.”
