This Footpath School proves that #PakistanIsLearning despite all hurdles

Dawn.com and German International broadcaster DW are highlighting stories that define the real meaning of Pakistan.
Published March 16, 2019

For the poorest Pakistani kids who grow up begging on the streets, the Footpath School provides a safe haven of learning and comfort. So what if it doesn't have four walls and exists under the open sky?

In this short film by AWB Films, narrator Eva Zu Beck takes us into the heart of Karachi to explore this oasis of learning. A school that is merely feet away from a busy road, unsheltered from honking cars and random pedestrians, yet feels like a world of its own.

Titled #PakistanIsLearning, this film is shedding light on the massive problem of the lack of formal education in Pakistan. In such circumstances, citizens like Anfas Ali Shah are stepping up to the challenge and fighting against the odds to make education accessible to every child in Pakistan.


Director: Arsalan Majid

Narrator: Eva zu Beck

Lighting: Sarfaraz Jam

Production Assistant: Ghulam Abbas


This film was produced under the #PakistanIs project, an initiative of Dawn.com and German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) to highlight and showcase stories that define the real meaning of Pakistan.

The project comprises of eight different films, and one film will be released every week on our social channels.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more details, photos and behind-the-scenes action from these films.