Imagine a six-year-old girl, alone in an unfamiliar city, separated from her loved ones, unable to explain who she is or where she belongs.
In 2012, Maryam was staying with a family in Lahore’s Sabzazar area when she stepped outside, lost her way, and couldn’t find her way back home.
A citizen found her and took her to the Child Protection Bureau, where she spent years without identity or family, waiting to be recognized. Despite many attempts, no information about her relatives surfaced for more than a decade.
Circumstances changed unexpectedly.
Through the Mera Pyara - Virtual Center for Child Safety Program, our team interviewed children from all shelters and child protection bureaus and uploaded them to the Mera Pyara official Facebook page. Maryam was also one of those children. Maryam’s interview was also uploaded and boosted online, focusing on areas she remembered from her childhood.
Our team even visited locations Maryam vaguely recalled, revisiting her described streets and checking every possible clue.
The breakthrough happened at an unforeseen moment.
Maryam’s brother saw her interview on the Mera Pyara Facebook page and recognized her immediately, his missing sister, whom the family had been searching for over 13 years.
This was a remarkable reunion.
Today, Maryam is returning home.
This reunion was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the Mera Pyara team, the compassion of the public, and Allah’s special mercy. Our mission is to identify every missing child, reunite them with their families, and ensure that no child lives without an identity or a sense of belonging. No child should live unidentified. No family should remain incomplete.
Across Pakistan, more than 600 unidentified children are still living in orphanages and shelter homes, waiting for someone to recognize them.
To support this mission:
Mera Pyara has collected complete data of all unidentified children from nationwide shelters.
Their profiles are available at Mera Pyara Official Website, and their interviews are available on Mera Pyara official Facebook Page. If you recognize a child, call or whatsapp Mera Pyara helpline at 0309-0000015.
Join this noble cause.
Help us reunite missing children with their families.
واللہ المستعان