Uzma Khan, Teacher
Uzma Khan, born and raised in Kathmandu, is a teacher at the Madrasa Islamiya School, located behind the Jame Masjid near Ghantaghar in Kathmandu. She teaches Urdu, Arabic, social studies, English and the Quran. With an undergraduate degree in Islamic Studies from Bangalore, she returned home to teach at the school which is quite diverse with interfaith students under the same roof.
Having just begun her job, the lockdown was enforced in March 2020. The pupils did not have the option of virtual learning as most of them were from low-income homes and lacked access to technology, says Uzma. She herself felt quite lost and apprehensive about the future. Quite fed up with the situation, Uzma started two-hour classes for interested children in her neighbourhood free of cost in open spaces and with the required safety measures.
With a decline in COVID cases in Kathmandu, the school opened a month ago with all the appropriate measures, much to Uzma’s happiness. She is wary of potential risks involved but believes that learning must continue for the children in a school environment. Uzma has plans to pursue teaching as her career and wants to study further as well.
