ISKUL SAMA DILAUT OMADAL (Iskul) Iskul was established in 2015 to provide holistic education to the stateless children on Omadal Island, starting with a foundation of basic literacy skills. Their vision is to build young leaders among the stateless and local community empowering them to become changemakers who address challenges within their own communities. In addition to education, ISKUL provides meals to support the students nutritional intake, started a Community Health Centre, and piloted a waste management system in Omadal for both stateless and Malaysian communities alongside other environmental initiatives. Language has long been a barrier between the Bajau Laut community and government agencies. Now, thanks to dedicated efforts, ISKUL students and assistant teachers like Mutasli and Bilkuin have become interpreters, bridging the gap. During Suhakam’s (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) July 2024 visit to Semporna, they played a crucial role as guides and translators. This experience has empowered them to take an active role in facilitating communication, which is essential for engaging with local authorities and building stronger ties with the broader community. 2. Indirect discrimination, whereby domestic laws, policies and practices have a discriminatory effect on stateless children, due to their inability to meet basic registration or school entry requirements. This arises, for instance, when children do not have a birth certificate or identification document and no accommodation is made for them to access schooling through adapted requirements17. / CASE STUDY - PAKISTAN Machar Colony is one of the largest informal settlements in Karachi, Pakistan, home to over 800,000 people, more than half of whom are stateless, undocumented, or struggling with issues of citizenship and identity. This population is predominantly Bengali and Burmese. Under the Citizenship Act, all children born in Pakistan are considered eligible for birthright citizenship. However, in practice, this law is not applied to longstanding stateless communities or their descendants born in Machar Colony. The Constitution also guarantees universal education and mandates compulsory schooling at the primary level (ages 5 to 15, up to high school). However, school admission policies requiring a Child Registration Certificate (CRC), which carries a citizenship number, create a distinct barrier for stateless and undocumented children. Acquiring a CRC is difficult as it is linked to generational documents and parents’ citizenship status, despite birthright citizenship being enshrined in the Citizenship Act. These children should be assisted in obtaining documentation that facilitates 8 access to education and ultimately nationality. Instead, they are blocked from both, left entirely dependent on informal schools run by grassroots organizations to receive a rudimentary education. IMKAAN WELFARE ORGANIZATION Breaking Barriers: Sonia Nazar-ul-Islam’s Journey from Machar Colony to the National Stage Ten years ago, Sonia Nazar-ul-Islam entered Khel, Imkaan Welfare Organization’s learning and recreational center, as a six-year-old child. Today, she joins the Pakistan Army Girls Gymnastics Team, marking a significant milestone for children facing barriers of statelessness, identity, and marginalization. As a member of the Sindh provincial gymnastics team, Sonia played a pivotal role in leading her team to gold at the finals of the National Women’s Championship. Her achievement underscores the impact of structured mentorship and access to opportunities. Sonia’s success is a testament to the talent that exists in every community, often overlooked due to systemic barriers. Her journey proves that when given the right support, children from Machar Colony and similar communities can rise to compete - and win - at the highest levels. “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Sonia’s success proves that with love, guidance, mentorship, and opportunity - not heavy resourcing - children can break barriers and reach the highest levels. She is not alone - many young people in Imkaan’s programs are thriving, ready to redefine what’s possible.” TAHERA HASAN, Founder- Director, Imkaan Welfare Organization