Hyderabad/Karachi: Laughter echoed, rides whirred, and young faces lit up with joy as 777 orphaned students from Sindh’s most underserved communities enjoyed a memorable day at Hyderabad’s historic Rani Bagh, during a special recreational programme organised by the Green Crescent Trust (GCT). The day-long fun gala brought together students from 65 GCT schools across 18 districts of interior Sindh. Similar recreational galas will also be held at Benazir Park (Lab-e-Mehran) in Sukkur in the coming days, ensuring that all orphaned students enrolled in GCT schools share in the celebrations. The event was part of GCT’s province-wide series of fun galas, designed to bring happiness, care and a sense of normal childhood to 2,150 orphaned students enrolled in the Trust’s 173 charitable schools across Sindh. Throughout the day, children thrilled to joyrides, shared smiles over a special lunch and soaked in an atmosphere created purely for their happiness and wellbeing.
The Hyderabad gala followed a grand opening event near the M-9 Motorway, where more than 1,300 orphaned students from Karachi and Thatta were treated to a full-day outing at a popular holiday resort. The celebratory series will conclude with a final gala at Benazir Park (Lab-e-Mehran) in Sukkur, where over 111 orphaned students are set to take centre stage.
Beyond joy and recreation, the galas also marked the formal launch of Green Crescent Trust’s Ramazan 2026 fundraising campaign, which aims to raise Rs900 million to combat illiteracy and expand access to quality education for disadvantaged children in Sindh.
In his message on the occasion, GCT Chief Executive Officer Zahid Saeed paid heartfelt tribute to the Trust’s donors, patrons and well-wishers, whose sustained generosity, he said, makes year-round care, education and recreation for orphaned children possible. He offered special appreciation to ICNA Canada (Islamic Circle of North America), acknowledging its philanthropists for conceptualising and fully supporting a comprehensive, year-round assistance programme for orphan students. “These children are being supported holistically—academically, socially and emotionally—so they can grow into confident, responsible citizens who contribute positively to Pakistan’s future,” he said. Zahid Saeed noted that, with strong philanthropic backing, GCT currently educates 34,660 students through its network of 173 schools in Sindh’s underprivileged areas. He further announced that from 2026, GCT plans to extend its educational mission beyond Sindh to reach needy families in other underserved regions of the country. He also acknowledged the business communities of Lahore and Islamabad, who recently pledged an impressive Rs150 million at fundraising events, reinforcing national support for educating children from marginalised communities.
Zahid Saeed further said that federal and provincial governments collectively spent a record Rs 3.2 trillion on education and health—surpassing Pakistan’s defence budget. He emphasised that transparent and accountable use of this public funding could transform the nation swiftly. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to Islamabad’s business community for their overwhelming support in enrolling out-of-school children in Sindh. He further said that thanks to exceptional donor and philanthropic support, the GCT had emerged as a key force for educational uplift in remote and underdeveloped parts of Sindh over the past 31 years. The Trust currently operates 173 charitable schools with an enrolment of 34,660 students, more than 40 per cent of whom are girls. Among them are 2,150 orphans receiving dedicated academic and welfare support. This extensive network is powered by over 2,000 qualified teachers, committed to transforming the lives of children who would otherwise remain deprived of learning opportunities, said the GCT CEO.
As the laughter of children filled Rani Bagh, the message was clear: for Green Crescent Trust, education is not just about classrooms—it is about dignity, care and giving every child a reason to smile. Volunteers from GCT’s Orphan Support Programme remained actively engaged throughout the Rani Bagh event, ensuring the safety, comfort and wellbeing of every child, allowing them to enjoy the day carefree and secure. The unwavering, year-round generosity of committed donors and philanthropists—many of whom prefer to remain anonymous—was warmly acknowledged as their support continues to secure the education, dignity and well-being of 2,150 orphaned students enrolled in the charitable schools of the Green Crescent Trust (GCT) across Sindh’s most remote and underserved areas.
