The people of Thar continue to face several challenges on a daily basis. They eagerly await education, proper healthcare, clean water and socio-economic support that will make life easier for them. But sometimes, people have to take it upon themselves to bring about a change.

Urooj Fatima and her sister Khanzadi Kapri are striving to fill a major gap by bringing education to women who cannot go places to get it. Fatima, a brave young girl from a backward area in Thar, is on a mission to take girls’ education door-to-door and has proved that nothing is impossible if one is committed to a cause.

The two sisters travel on motorbikes in remote areas and villages of Mithi, working to fulfil a dream; to see the children of Thar educated. The availability of quality education is a constitutionally guaranteed right, but unfortunately, millions of children, particularly in remote rural areas remain deprived of it.

Fatima believes that the women of Thar can play an active role in improving the situation they find themselves in, both financially and socially. The tool they require is education, which she and her sister are trying to bring to these women.

Urooj Fatima is a champion for change. She holds awareness sessions for girls in local schools. “In the modern world, education is the only thing that sets one apart. We cannot survive without it. I tell this to children,” she says.

The day starts early. Every morning she goes to a learning centre to study. She is also trying to get a grip on freelancing; the rest of the day is spent with villagers, conducting awareness sessions. She also teaches women how to ride the motorbike. “Motorbike riding is not a hobby for me. It just makes access to education easier. I want that for everyone.”

Many people still hesitate to send their daughters to school in Thar. Many of them do not allow the girls to travel far, which hampers the course of their educational journey. “Many believe that education has little value,” says Urooj Fatima, who is determined to change this mindset. The people of Thar are struggling to move beyond their fears and preconceived notions, not because they do not want the best for their children but because their opportunities are limited. Urooj Fatima and her sister are examples of young women who are consistently trying to dismantle the beliefs holding the women and children of their area back. By teaching others to ride motorbikes and organising awareness sessions in nearby villages, they aim to make the elders realise the importance of education. The children, they say, must get their rightful chance at a better future.

“My father is a retired school teacher. He has inspired us,” says Urooj Fatima. Her father has been supportive of the two because he realises the trouble girls have to go through to get to schools in their hometown. “He always says, education is a tool to spread love, teach culture and humanity and bring people together,” she says.

The journey so far has not been an easy one. Fatima and Kapri have faced several challenges and social resistance. Teaching girls and women to ride motorbikes has certainly brought them criticism, but they continue unfazed, in an effort to make other women realise that they too have agency, which they must learn to exercise, especially when it comes to their education.

“It is customary for the women here to be in veil, so negative comments are expected when we decide to ride bikes and conduct awareness sessions. We have learnt to ignore the accusatory sounds of men in the bazaars,” she says.

“I learnt to ride a bike after she did. It makes me happy that something has changed here because of my sister’s efforts,” says her elder sister, who supports her mission. “She is resilient and pays no attention to the disapprovers.”

Their father, who taught her to drive a motorbike, supports her fully. Both their parents want their daughters to be an inspiration for the girls of their area. Even though they too have faced some backlash for promoting modern values, they do not wish to see any of it ever affecting Urooj Fatima and other young girls who hope to be independent and educated.

Speaking with The News on Sunday (TNS), their father adds, “the land of Sindh has much potential. The youth are passionate and desperately waiting for direction and opportunities.”

Fatima says, “if we do not educate our youth, the future of our nation will remain bleak.”

The activist says that technology can open doors for the youngsters living in Thar, but first, there needs to be an effort to teach them how to use modern technologies properly. Education, she believes, is key to all progress.

Urooj Fatima and her sister Khanzadi Kapri are the face of the change they want to bring about.

The writer is a   freelance contributor