ast month, I had an opportunity to spend five days in Murgha Faqirzai, Balochistan. This was a part of an official training. We visited several public offices in the area. Though, I currently live in Pishin, during my time in Murgha Faqirzai I came across some new facts.

It may not be out of place here to let the readers first know where Murgha Faqirzai is located. As anthropologist Thomas Barfield has said, “truth be told, the less the world knows about a place, the easier it is to generalise about it.”

Murgha Faqirzai is a union council located in the northern part of Balochistan. It is two-and-a-half hours journey from Muslim Bagh—a tehsil of Qila Saifullah district, and approximately four hours’ drive from Quetta. The Afghan border is approximately forty kilometres away.

It is difficult to imagine the beauty of the area unless one visits it. The temperature remains moderate during summers. The winters are harsh. The highest altitude in the area is approximately 7,900 feet. For electricity, people here rely on solar panels. Not every family can afford those. There is no internet facility. Apples and potatoes of the area are amongst the best in the country.

I am unable to write at length about all that I saw and experienced in Murgha Faqirzai. I must mention two visits here. First, the visit to a Levies thana, and the second, a visit to a local school.

For those who do not know about the Levies, it is a force to ensure security in the ‘B’ area of the province. Previously, 80 percent of the province fell in the ‘B’ category. However, the incumbent government has been converting ‘B’ areas into ‘A’ areas; the latter are looked after by the Police Department.

During our visit, the risaldar major heading the thana, briefed us about the nature of the problems they face in ensuring the security of the area. According to him, the area is largely peaceful. Sometimes, people end up in a conflict due to land disputes. But those, he says, are resolved in no time. According to him, the ratio of success in dispute resolution is above 85 percent.

On our second day in the union council, we visited a government primary school. The school had seven or eight teachers. There were around 250 students in the school. The principal was a learned man who knew how to persuade parents to admit their children in the school.

My first impressions compelled me to ask the students not about their studies but about what they had for breakfast in the morning. All except four students had come to school without having their breakfast.

To my surprise, only four out of nineteen schools in the area are functional.

Because there is no high school in the area, the principal of the primary school, in his private capacity, has arranged a facility for classes till 10^th grade. The term ‘private’ should not be misunderstood here. He does not charge anything for the facility. It is ‘private’ in the sense that the government does not pay him for it. His sole aim is to help students in higher classes and ensure that students who are promoted to higher classes continue their studies. Such selfless dedication is hardly witnessed in urban centres of the country.

During our interaction with students of Grade Three, I noticed how different life is for a child who lives near the Pak-Afghan border. My first impressions compelled me to ask the students what they had had for breakfast in the morning. All except four students had come to school without having their breakfast.

The story of this school is the story of more than 8 percent of the schools in rural Balochistan.

Given the challenges, the faculty and the staff deserve to be celebrated for their determination. This also reflects the spirit of doing work for one’s community with no expectation in return.

Our experience of interacting with students of Grade Ten was no different. Most of the students were living in poverty but their zeal for education and learning encouraged them to make their way to educational institutions. Some of these students were also bread earners for their families. Some of them worked as tailors in the afternoon; others sold potatoes and tomatoes to meet their needs.

When we talked to the students about their plans after matriculation, 60 percent of them said that they would be unable to continue formal education. However, they wanted to learn some hard skills, which could help them earn a better living. The remaining students said that they would want to go to Qila Saifullah for their intermediate studies. Only one student said that he would go to Quetta for higher education.

No female student could pursue higher education, even with the full support of their parents. The reason for this is lack of access to schools and poverty.

Nonetheless, the students were politically aware. They understood the political and socio-economic problems of the area. They also offered solutions—pragmatic and practical. For now, they lack authority and agency.

Here’s to hoping that they bring about the positive changes or those who can become aware of the problems and the solutions that the people offer.

The writer lives in the district of Pishin, Balochistan.