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I asked Maryam three questions about her experience with EPEL, her hopes for The Basics in Pakistan, and what she would say to others considering volunteering.
What is the name of the area you live in Pakistan?
I was born and raised in Karachi. It isn't just a city to me, it is a living, breathing emotion. As we affectionately say in Urdu, "Karachi love hy Jani..." (Karachi is love, my dear). Its energy, its resilience, and its people are stitched into everything I am.
What is your job in Pakistan?
For 17 years, my life’s mission has been centered around early childhood education. I serve as a headmistress at a private school in Karachi, while also working as a freelance teacher trainer and consultant for the early years learning.
To work with young children is not just a profession for me—it is a lifelong passion. Watching a child’s eyes light up with understanding, or helping a teacher discover the power of gentle guidance, gives my life immense purpose. I truly love the work I do; it is the rhythm of my everyday life.
Why did you come to the United States for the summer? Vacation, Travel
Family brought me here. We traveled to the United States to stand beside my father-in-law, supporting him through an upcoming surgery and his journey toward recovery
How did you find EPEL?
Upon arriving, we realized his surgery date was scheduled two months out. I found myself facing empty weeks. The thought of spending that sacred time sitting at home, swallowed by house chores or lost in screen time, felt like a wasted opportunity. I wanted my days to carry meaning. I turned to Google Gemini, searching for local volunteering opportunities where my background in early childhood education could serve others.
That search led me directly to the (EPEL). As I read about their work, something sparked inside me. I sent an email to Amber Peters sharing my story, and her immediate, welcoming response was the bridge that brought us together.
What did you learn or experience during your time volunteering with EPEL that has stayed with you and influenced the work you are now doing in your community in Pakistan?
Before EPEL, almost my entire career had unfolded within the structured walls of classrooms and training centers. EPEL unlocked a door I had always longed to open: deep, authentic community engagement. Working with children is a delicate, sacred responsibility, but seeing it lived out on a community scale opened my eyes to a much wider lens.
I was introduced to The Basics—five simple, powerful principles. The concepts themselves were familiar, but the magic was in the execution. I was captivated by the realization that you don't even have to physically hold a child’s hand to change their trajectory; you can transform their world simply by empowering the adults around them.
Most profoundly, I witnessed the power of unity. I watched an entire city align under one shared promise for its children. Libraries, hospitals, schools, barbershops, local parks, and the police department—all holding hands to achieve a single goal. It proved to me that while a single voice can make a noise, true magic only happens when a community sings in harmony.
You are now working toward bringing The Basics to your community in Pakistan. What inspired you to take that next step, and what do you hope The Basics will mean for children and families there?
What drew me to The Basics was its pure, beautiful simplicity—a simplicity that feels like a lifeline for my city.
Karachi is a vibrant, sprawling metropolis, but economic hardship weighs heavily on many families. In our culture, education is deeply revered. Because public education often struggles to meet the demand for quality, parents endure immense financial and emotional strain to afford a better future for their kids. The pressure on young students to succeed—and succeed with "flying colors"—is overwhelming. Sadly, because preschool is a luxury many families simply cannot afford, parents focus their limited resources on older siblings, keeping younger ones at home. These little ones enter elementary school already behind, their confidence bruised before their journey has even truly begun.
The Basics changes everything. It proves that you don't need expensive tools or elite classrooms to nurture a child's brain—you just need love, conversation, and everyday moments.
I am already bringing this vision to life. I’ve begun sharing The Basics with teachers across Karachi, and their enthusiasm has been overwhelming. My immediate goal is to start small—gathering groups of 8 to 10 neighboring families, sitting down with them, and wrapping them in the knowledge that they already have what it takes to guide their children. From there, we will let the circle grow.
My dream is to relieve the silent heartbreak of parents who feel they cannot give their young children enough, and to give our youngest learners the strong, joyful start they deserve.
What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering, but may wonder whether the time they give can really make a difference?
As a storyteller and educator, I know that inside every tiny seed lives a whole forest waiting to bloom.
When I volunteered with EPEL, I saw how a simple hour—sharing The Basics, listening to a parent, or connecting at a local park—could transform a family's day. You may only see the brief moment you give, but for that parent and child, feeling supported ripples outward for a lifetime.
Volunteering isn't about grand gestures; it is about planting small seeds of connection. You don't need to change the entire world in an afternoon—you just need to light up that moment for one family. That seed will grow, and that is always worth your time.
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