A Remote Volunteer’s Reflections

A Visit to the Social Bond School, Dalmia Campus

In December 2023, I finally visited Karachi after 12 years. Naturally, I was excited and looking forward to seeing family members I hadn’t seen in two decades, eating authentic, delicious food and roaming the city I had called home for the first 15 years of my life.

However, one item that was of the highest priority on my “Visit Karachi’ agenda, was meeting TeeSquare team, volunteers and Team Taleem learners in action. As an occasional, remote blog writer for TeeSquare, I understood how this organization and the Team Taleem digital platform work conceptually. But to actually see the children using the tablets, learning with utmost joy, and to see the supervisors, principal and all the showrunners working hard to make this system work, was completely different. I saw what I, in my own, small way, was able to contribute to. And I am eternally grateful for that.

I know I’ll be back soon, to visit another campus and meet more children excited to learn — but in the meantime, here are some reflections I took back with me from my first visit

Digital Literacy Is Easier to Pick Up Than You Think

When TeeSquare volunteers and ambassadors visited the Dalmia Campus of the Social Bond Welfare Organization, we had the opportunity to talk to learners in two class sections where they were using the Team Taleem digital platform on their tablets. Learners were studying using the tablets to read, write and learn maths.

The first thing I noticed about these dedicated learners was how quickly they seemed to have picked up learning on their tablets. They navigated the interface of the tablet with ease and confidence. They were keen to show us what they had learned, using their stylus fluidly to trace letters or write answers to equations. The simple, gamified user interface along with the program’s audio assistance in Urdu made using the tablet fun and easy.

Learning is best when it’s fun

One young learner recalled his experience at his previous school, which was a sarkari or government school. He told us he didn’t like it there because they used to frequently punish him and his brother. Coming to the Social Bond School in Dalmia was different — he was able to learn without worrying about being punished. He seemed happy to share his learning’s and enthusiastically recited a paragraph from his Urdu lesson.

I’m a firm believer in the idea that learning is best when it’s fun and conducted in an encouraging, compassionate atmosphere. Whether these children used the gamified Team Taleem tablets or traditional learning materials, they looked genuinely happy to be learning and interacting with their supervisors. More importantly, they were excited for what their futures held. When asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, many shouted out “Doctor” “Dentist” “Teacher” and more. They were hopeful about where their education would lead them.

Community Partners Are Essential to Digital Learning

TeeSquare’s community partners are individuals or organizations who act as supervisors for the learners using TeeSquare. They are required to provide a room, electricity, supervision and resources for Team Taleem users, in order to ensure these learners are able to finish their learning and earn their certifications. The community partner here was the Social Bond Welfare organization, run by Saim Tanauli. They provided resources, rooms, teachers and a safe, encouraging atmosphere for learners to learn. Community Partners are vital to learners’ success; they motivate and encourage learners to progress, helping them get the most out of the TeeSquare program.

There is a passionate team behind TeeSquare, working and innovating every day to ensure learners have access to learning opportunities they never had before. Being able to meet them and see their work reflected in the enthusiasm and brightness of these learners was incredibly inspiring. I am optimistic the future of education is brighter than ever in Pakistan.