What began as a personal resolve by a schoolteacher from Mandi Bahauddin has, over the past 46 years, grown into a powerful symbol of selfless service and educational reform for underprivileged children in Pakistan’s capital.
Master Muhammad Ayub, who moved to Islamabad in 1980 after joining the Education Department as a teacher, settled in the F-6 sector, adjacent to a slum known as Christian Colony.
There, he witnessed children deprived of education and drawn into gambling, violence, and street crime, an injustice that deeply moved him and prompted a life-altering decision.
Recalling the early days of his mission, Master Ayub said he once intervened after seeing a child arguing violently with his mother.
Despite offering to educate the child at his own expense, he was assaulted and injured.
Undeterred, he returned days later to find the same mother and child in distress after the boy had assaulted the son of an influential man, drawing police involvement.
Ayub intervened, offering to resolve the matter on the condition that the child commit to education.
That boy became the first student of what would later become a thriving educational centre.
According to Master Ayub, the land where the centre now stands was once barren, marked only by a single tree.
The residence of renowned poet Ahmed Faraz (late) stood nearby, and Faraz provided strong moral support for the initiative.
However, the journey was fraught with challenges.
Ayub faced harassment from authorities, including the CDA and police, and even endured allegations of espionage.
A six-year inquiry followed, yet he continued teaching without interruption.
Upon the conclusion of investigations, Master Muhammad Ayub was honoured with a National Award in recognition of his services.
His institution has remained inclusive, educating Muslim, Christian, and Hindu students without discrimination.
Today, hundreds of his former students serve in senior positions across government departments, including the CDA and Accounts offices.
In the early years, children studied under the open sky, exposed to scorching heat and rain. With support from philanthropists, a container school was eventually established, equipped with desks, shelter, drinking water, and toilet facilities.
Following a letter from Ahmed Faraz, the CDA also extended infrastructural support.
At present, more than 350 children are enrolled at the centre.
Master Ayub has also received international recognition, including an award in Malaysia for his educational services.
Throughout his career, he divided his salary into three parts—one for his household, one for himself, and one for his students.
Even five years after retirement, he continues to spend a portion of his pension on the children.
He noted with pride that many of his former students are now educators themselves, supporting and teaching disadvantaged children.
Vowing to continue his mission for life, Master Ayub appealed to the government and philanthropists for assistance in providing desks, stationery, and educational resources, while urging the youth to embrace education as the true path to success.