Wind beneath my wings

As the shrill bell rings for lunch recess and children scamper outside to play and enjoy their break, one girl can be seen sitting forlornly in the classroom gazing at the blue skies and the birds soaring freely. The young girl is Mona, studying in the fourth standard at GGPS Akri Pithoro, Taluka Pithoro in District Umerkot.
Born into a large family comprising of parents and many sisters, Mona was always an unwelcome addition as she was not the son her father had expected and to top it all she had a disability in her right leg. Growing up in such a claustrophobic environment at home and being mocked at every single step of the way in her young life had robbed Mona of her self-esteem and the will to learn.
Yet, one of Mona's older sisters felt that fate had dealt Mona a cruel blow by giving her a physical disability and there was no reason why she should not study and do something worthwhile with her life. Hence, after a lot of fights and cajoling at home, Mona was put into school.
If Mona thought that her life would get some normalcy at school, she was wrong. She was picked upon and bullied by other children who used to make fun of her disability. Moreover, with her lack of confidence and late start to schooling, Mona was a slow learner and that made matters worse for her.
Mona would have ultimately left school had it not been for Right to Play's (RTP) intervention in her district. Right to Play, a leading international, humanitarian organisation which deals in the holistic and social development of a child through the power of sports and play has been operating in Pakistan since 2002 and has increased its reach in seven districts of Sindh. Their work has been enabled in the districts through a grant made available by UNICEF especially for the holistic development of children in their child-friendly schools.
When RTP came to the district of Umerkot, they brought with them their Delivery Model that builds capacity and sustainability of Head Coaches and ultimately children. Through this model, RTP scouted the regions for prospective Head Coaches and supervisors and after a meticulous selection process, identified 23 Female Head Coaches for the entire district of Umerkot. These Female Head Coaches ultimately serve in the capacities of a volunteer.
In Taluka Pithoro, a young lady by the name of Asma was selected as the Head Coach (HC). And when she came to the school in Akri Pithoro, she was appalled at the manner in which children were behaving with each other. This was made apparent when she saw a number of children bullying Mona and taunting her.
Asma immediately realized that the importance of "inclusion" be taught to children in which they are taught the importance of respect, love for each other regardless of their race, background and sex.
Through the power of inclusion, Asma was able to bring about a positive behavioural change in children, especially in their attitude towards Mona. And as for Mona, Asma constantly motivated her, encouraged her and even counselled her through which the young girl finally shed her fears and inhibitions and started participating in activities and games with other children.
It was soon observed that Mona was opening up and was quite bright in following Asma's instructions in comparison to other children present. Moreover, she was actively taking part in an activity titled 'Reflect-Connect-Apply' through which children apply their play activities to situations in their lives.
In a recent visit by a Government Supervisor to their district, it was seen that Mona was the brightest in answering questions meted out and the confidence with which she shared her dreams of participating in district-wide sports amazed everyone present.
At the personal front, Mona is a happy young girl, content with her teachings and activities at school. She feels that she has gotten wings and will fly in the winds. Her positive and infectious attitude has also made inroads at her home. The writer is a Monitoring & Evaluation/Communications Officer at Right to Play, Provincial Office, Sindh, Pakistan.