When Sadia first walked into Children’s Garden as a Play Group student, she was three years old and a little shy. By the time she left after Class 2, she was leading her group’s annual recitation and had won the school’s interclass spelling bee — twice.

“What I remember most is the warmth,” her mother says. “Every teacher knew Sadia by name. They knew what made her laugh. When she struggled with a phonics sound, they didn’t move on — they sat with her until she got it.”

Sadia sat the Viqarunnisa Noon School entrance exam in late 2022 and was accepted on her first attempt. She credits her confidence in interview questions to the speech contests CG runs every term.

“At CG I learnt that my voice matters,” Sadia says. “I take that with me everywhere.”