Saadi Ahmad, aged 15

As the eldest child in a fatherless family, Saadi felt responsible for the family and, on the advice of an uncle, left school aged 11 to work in a car workshop. When we met him he had been working there for three years from early morning to late at night, for 45p a day. We negotiated with his employer to allow Saadi to attend our Working Children’s Project Centre three times a week. Soon after, Saadi said the glimpse of education has lit up his life and given him hope to get back into his studies.