Givology - give to learn, learn to give

Sonam Shahbaz is eight years old and living with her mother and six sisters in a rented house in the red light area of Lahore. Sonam’s mother is sex worker and earns livelihood for the family through prostitution. Sonam does not want to be a sex worker. Her mother and her two elder sisters hardly earn an amount of Rs. 10000/ month (US $ 119/ month) from prostitution. With this limited income they are hardly able to meet the daily expenses of food and rent of the house. Her mother is not able to bear the expenses of her education and health care. Her two sisters are in business of prostitution and remaining three sisters have also never attended school. Her mother and other family members do not want her to attend the school as they are unable to meet the expenses of her education. Her mother wants her to be a prostitute in future but she does not want to be a prostitute. She wants to get education and to become an artist in future. She thinks that education is the best way to get rid of the prostitution and find out other alternate ways of livelihood. She is not getting any support from her family for her education. Currently she is going to SHEED School but she is looking towards the donors to help her to meet her expenses and one day, move onto another institution.