Community Service and the Environment
The Community Service and Environment Society aims to mobilize the student body of 55-Main so they can become responsible and empathetic individuals. We collaborate with multiple NGOs throughout the year to engage our students with the community outside school. Some notable collaborations include visits to Heavens Old Home and the Todd’s Welfare animal shelter. We also invite organizations such as Project Pehchaan and Gender Guardian to hold seminars discussing the marginalization of the transgender community. Over the last two years, through bake sales and selling merchandise/tickets, members of the society were successfully able to raise more than Rs.434,400 (Rs.132,000 of the total amount was for Pink Ribbon). The society also hosted its own 55’s Carnival, a fundraising event which provided an opportunity for 55 Main’s students to enjoy a fun day of festivities whilst contributing to charity. A total of Rs. 280,988 was collected which is used to fund activities of the society. One such activity is the weekly fruit drives at Doors of Awareness School to remind their students of the importance of a healthy diet. Our students also plan engaging arts and crafts activities for each fruit drive. Since we believe charity begins at home, we also enthusiastically run the 50 Rupee Campaign to generate funds each month for our janitorial and custodial staff to support and assist them with tuition fees, books and uniforms for their children.
The journey to becoming environmentally conscious starts at a young age for our students, from encouraging them to recycle using recycling bins, picking up litter after recess or through interactive sessions on ‘Smog: The fifth season of Lahore’ and ‘The perils of single use plastics.’ We pride ourselves on being a green school. Simultaneously, through tree plantations and awareness sessions, 55’s Anti Plastic and Recycling Campaign was launched in different phases to reduce 55 Main’s plastic footprint and to help students adopt changes in their daily lives in order to combat the imminent threat of climate change. We focus on global, national and local issues and represent 55 Main on a variety of environmental platforms and competitions. Whether it is arranging internships at WWF, celebrating Earth Day, or attending a conference on Animal Rights, the Environment Society has something in store for all Earth lovers and enthusiasts.
Holistically, the objective is to remind students of their individual responsibility which will gradually develop into a communal responsibility and could prove to be vital in shaping the future of Pakistan.