Cities for Children

This Ramadan, we are thrilled to share incredible endorsement from Ziauddin Yousafzai co-founder of Malala Fund (and Malala’s father!) As an inspiring global advocate of girls’ education, his belief in our mission means the world. As he says, “education is the key to the door of life.” Together, we can create safe, happy spaces for vulnerable girls and boys in Pakistan, and empower Afghan refugees in the UK to open new doors for themselves. Make a difference by supporting our Ramadan campaign: https://lnkd.in/dYU-44UK #Ramadan2025 #EducationForAll #PlayfulLearning #NoChildLeftBehind

We are honoured to share this acknowledgement in the newly published policy brief on Free and Compulsory Education from the National Commission on the Rights of Child Pakistan and UNICEF Pakistan! To address the learning crisis in Pakistan our CEO Madeeha Ansari was tasked with collating findings from countrywide consultations by the National Commission on the Rights of Child Pakistan and drafting a document that would provide practical, actionable solutions to the challenges of out-of-school children. Key Takeaways: 📌 System-Level Reforms: Addressing Pakistan’s education emergency requires increasing the education budget, gathering data on out-of-school children, and streamlining policy implementation. 📌 Improving Accessibility: Education solutions must be tailored to children’s needs. This means investing in non-formal education, incentivizing learning with meal programs, and ensuring inclusive education for differently-abled children. 📌 Enhancing Education Quality: Quality matters. We must adopt holistic child development approaches—our recommendations are to prioritise Early Childhood Education (ECE) and playful pedagogies to foster lifelong learning. We would like to thank chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooq for pushing the agenda on this important theme. At the heart of our mission is the belief that every child has the #RightToLearn and the #RightToChildhood. Through policy advocacy, we’re working to turn this vision into reality. #EducationForAll #Policy #Advocacy #learningcrisis

One of the highlights of 2024 has been the opportunity to review innovations on wellbeing in the K-12 space for HundrEDorg. This excerpt indicates my approach to developing and implementing interventions meant to promote students' wellbeing in Pakistan - and the approach comes from many years of experiencing private and public sector educators' perspectives and actions toward student mental health. And seeing Pakistan featured in the report (link below) via Cities for Children's brilliant Seekho Sikhao Saathi ("Partners in Learning") intervention really renews my faith in the ability of Pakistan's amazing educators to change the way wellbeing is seen in our educational institutes! I would encourage all the educators seeing this to read this report - not least because it will refuel your energy and remind you of why we chose to be educators - but also because this is a collection of really inspiring work that can get you thinking about your own approach to wellbeing in schools. Report page: https://lnkd.in/eRkPcZGE Direct DL: https://lnkd.in/eg_7CgZH

Children affected by conflict in Gaza have suffered devastating loss and trauma. This year, we are collaborating with Seenaryo to support activities that will bring play, joy and healing, addressing the psychological toll of the war on children. Your Zakat and Sadqah can help train teachers to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for children, while also addressing urgent education needs. At Cities for Children, we are committed to creating happy memories that build resilience for some of the most vulnerable children in the world. Donate to our Ramadan campaigh today: https://lnkd.in/dYU-44UK #Ramadan2025 #Gaza #EducationForAll #PlayfulLearning

For Women's Day, we are thrilled to share a sneak peek into MANZIL, our upcoming digital platform building socioemotional learning for girls! For this we are grateful to our community of superstar women, sharing insights into how girls can run the world. Arooj Khalid shares tips on effective speaking, Zehra Nawab introduces us to the magic of illustration, Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin, our long-time friend from OLOMOPOLO Media talks creativity, and our amazing Trustee and policy expert Sehar Tariq is there to coach us being our most confident selves. With artwork by the talented Sana Kirmani, this is a labour of love and solidarity. Stay tuned for more!  #SEL #Manzil #DigitalPlatform #IWD2025 #EmpowerHer

“My favorite moment was the field trip….The joy on [their] faces were much more than any reward…a wholesome experience.”  -Volunteer Tayyaba, Foundation University This is what we wanted to hear at the end of our 6-week “Hansti Basti” community volunteering project with Fareezah: The Educational Initiative! Together, we discussed our personal heroes, learned about climate change, recycled newspapers - and went on a “tour of Pakistan" created by our incredible, dedicated volunteers. The grand finale tying learning together was a field trip to Lok Virsa - the first such trip for most of the children. The excitement was palpable! As we wrap up this cycle, we hope children and volunteers alike have walked away with shared memories and learning to last a lifetime. This is how we started - with a commitment to creating joy and ensuring that children love to learn! #HanstiBasti #HappyHoods #PlayfulLearning #Volunteers #SafeSpaces #SEL

All children deserve the right to a childhood—the right to learn and play in safety. At Cities for Children, our way of tackling the out-of-school children crisis in Pakistan is to create joyful spaces children WANT to attend and continue learning. We have watched children blossom, embracing their potential and beginning to plan for their future with hope - and we work to make sure they have real options to stay in school. This Ramadan, give your Zakat to create more learning, joy and meaningful opportunities for children on the margins. ➡️ Donate online at https://lnkd.in/e2RB-Jrf

Recently Fareezah did a collaboration with Cities for Children It panned out very well. Our students really had a great time while enhancing their creative skills and making changes to their personal behaviours through this program. Let’s hear from the people who were involved in the internship program! #communityservice #communitysupport #childeducation #collaboration #givingbacktocommunity #volunteers #fareezah #communitydevelopment

Last week, we had the honor of hosting a delegation of 51 researchers, teachers, and education officials from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development, Pakistan. As part of their research on child-to-child programming, they joined us for field visits to witness our #SeekhoSikhao model in action! With a warm welcome from Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training schools, the delegation observed a picture story session. Their questions and observations provided us with invaluable insights, and we hope they found the exchange just as enriching. Together, we are working to reimagine education across the region—one playful learning experience at a time!

Are you ready to make a real difference? We are looking for a dedicated Full-Time Programme Officer to join our team in Islamabad and help expand transformative programs that ensure every child has the right to learn, play, and grow in a safe environment. See the PDF below to learn more about the role. Send your CV and cover letter to: enquiries@citiesforchildren.co Application deadline: 28 February, 2025.  #CitiesForChildren #WeAreHiring #EducationJobs #NonProfitJobs #IslamabadJobs #PakistanJobs #Education #FullTime