For the last 13 years, Baby Bagri has been consistently working and fighting hardships to secure the future of children in her community through education. She has become a role model for many. Speaking with TNS, she says, “the society has been unkind to our community. Our children sit on the ground to receive an education, and our women are looked down upon.” She adds, “to provide decent employment to the women of my tribe, I have opened a sewing centre and a school for children.

Baby Bagri of Qambar Shahdadkot district in Sindh has been running a school for the last seven years to educate the children of her tribe. For a year now, she has also been supporting the women of her community by opening a vocational centre, employing women and teaching them to sew.

The Bagri community belongs to one of the ancient nomadic tribes of Sindh and has been living in Qambar for many years. Typically, Bagri men grow and sell vegetables and fruits. The women and children go from house to house begging to make ends meet.

Baby Bagri was unlike other women of her tribe; she wanted to learn and get an education. She convinced her mother to send her to school. Finally, after getting an education, she secured a job at Sindh Education Foundation School. Later, she started the school and the vocational centre she now heads to support others like her.

Talking to TNS, Bagri says that she founded Sant Hira Lal Community School in 2015, where 300 boys and girls of the Bagri community are currently enrolled.

Bagri says that starting a school was not an easy task for her. Through support from political and social welfare groups, she managed to establish the school. Social media has played a pivotal role in ensuring that students of Sant Hira Lal schools have uniforms, books, furniture, and the other necessities. People have supported the initiative, says Bagri.

Bagri, though satisfied with her work, worries about the funds needed for running the school and vocational centre effectively. Even though the monthly expenses keep her on her toes, she is determined to see that the school and the centre continue providing for the women and children of her community. 

Baby Bagri says that members of the Bagri community are looked down upon in Sindh and do not get many opportunities due to deep-rooted social biases and prejudice against the community.

“Our children used to beg in the streets and polish shoes. Now they will not do that anymore. Today, our children are at school,” she says.

Baby Bagri says that Muhammad Usman Memon and others have donated the land for the school, and several people have supported them in building it.

Some 25 to 30 women are learning to sew at Bagri’s vocational centre. The Preet Vocational Centre is ensuring that women find safe employment and do not have to beg. She believes that the bias against them can only be eradicated through education and skill-building. Bagri now plans to strive to build a higher education institution in Qambar city.

Her husband, Pardesi, supports Bagri in her mission. She says he manages the household expenses by going around on a bicycle buying and selling junk.

Baby Bagri faces several challenges. She says her struggle is endless. One of the many challenges is convincing the girls of her community to come to school. Another is changing the mindsets of elderly members of the community towards early marriage. Girls, she believes, should get a chance to be educated.

Bagri, though satisfied with her work, worries about the funds needed for running the school and vocational centre effectively. Even though the monthly expenses keep her on her toes, she is determined to see that the school and the centre continue providing for the women and children of her community.

In time, Baby Bagri wants to open more schools and training centres in Qambar and other areas of Sindh. She has faced backlash from her community, as well. Bagri says that some people do not want to change. They want to keep the women and children home, so that they beg and earn for the family.

At one point, Baby Bagri says, she wanted to give up. She says it is the support from social and political circles of the city that gave her the courage to keep moving forward.

The writer is a freelance journalist. He tweets @RehmatTunio