Unruly locks, wild eyes, and an angry or a distraught expression was the common view bystanders often got of a tall, 15-year-old girl loitering around shops and neighbouring homes surrounding Government Girls’ Primary School (GGPS), Chak Number Five, district Sanghar. The girl was Saba Naz, a student of class six at the stated school and she stood apart from others due to her wild behaviour. As expected, teachers and fellow students could not understand her strange behaviour, resulting in Saba becoming hostile over a period of time. The situation would have gone unchecked had Right To Play, an international not-for-profit organization, in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) not made inroads in the district and taken the school under its fold. Having reached over 316 primary schools in five districts of Sindh where UNICEF aimed to provide a child-centred education through a Child-Friendly (CF) model, Right To Play, over a period of time, has brought visible changes in the behaviour of the key beneficiaries of the programme through its unique sports and play-based methodology. It also utilised the expertise of local community volunteers who were developed as Head Coaches to drive activities leading to community growth. One such volunteer of the programme, Shagufta Amin was assigned to engage children in sports and play-based activities at the GGPS. When she joined the school as a Head Coach, she noticed the children were shy, withdrawn and scared of indulging in discussions with their teachers, but with time, through Red Ball Child Play (RBCP) games and Reflect-Connect-Apply (RCA) sessions, she was able to inculcate in them confidence, team-building and elements of respect. She was happy to see all children contentedly participate in activities, but was worried when she saw one particular child standing apart from the others, disinterested in activities going on around her. The child in question was Saba, who would remain sullen and unresponsive. She would bully her class fellows when they would assemble to play RBCP games and snatch the ball away so that the games would stall. She would constantly remain in a foul mood, causing people to steer clear of her path, and the unfortunate ones who came in the way would get a thrashing. Whenever Shagufta tried to intervene, she would chase her down the ground with the aim of scaring her off. The teachers of the school were at their wits’ end at failing to control Saba’s appalling behaviour but Shagufta felt that there were more pieces remaining to solve her complex behaviour. She scouted the neighborhood around the school and spoke with the community members of the village. She learnt from various sources that Saba was the daughter of a poor labourer and lived in a joint family set-up. She was suffering from mental disorder and had physical problems, which her parents could not understand, and consequently, she was often beaten or scolded at home. Her siblings too taunted and made fun of her, thus causing the girl to take refuge in her anger and hurt, causing her to become a ‘disturbed’ child. The information gleaned gave Shagufta a better perspective on the situation and she felt that the girl required proper attention and care. From that day forth, Shagufta doubled her efforts in reaching out to Saba and tried drawing her into RBCP games. Eventually, her repeated efforts and special attention paid off. But the real change occurred when she announced that Saba would be a Junior Leader and her decision worked positively. Initially, when Saba learnt that she was chosen to be a Junior Leader she was hesitant about her role, but as soon as she started accepting her duties and with the right support from children and teachers, she started to get confident and comfortable. Positive changes could be witnessed in her behaviour as she started to come to school regularly, took keen interest in health and hygiene sessions and made sure that her fellow students did not litter in the school. She also took active part in conducting group meetings with her Head Coach Shagufta, and led Bazm-e-Adab celebrations in her school. Her good rapport with children gained her many friends and she ultimately transformed into a friendly, cheerful person from a sullen and angry young girl. Upon seeing these changes, a delighted Shagufta shared: “Initially when I came to this school as a Head Coach, the headmistress was not very pleased with the notion. But now when she has seen remarkable changes taking place in the behaviour of the children in school, especially Saba Naz, she agrees that Right To Play truly makes a difference in a child’s life by developing the correct skills required for their development.” The writer is a Communications/Advocacy Officer at Right To Play Provincial Office, Sindh