According to the New Straits Times (NST), the leader of the project, Naim Fahmi, got the idea after he and a few others interviewed a stateless child who revealed that he was “educated” in the market.

It was then that Naim and his fellow university mates realised that some children could not differentiate between right and wrong.

“That was when a group of us decided to use our pocket money to teach these children,” the English daily quoted him as saying.

So every Sunday, Naim and friends, who have since formed a club called “Sekolah Jalanan Pasar Filipina”, teach about 40 children to read, write and do simple mathematics at the market.

Naim also said volunteers educate the kids about moral values and civic mindedness.

Parents, he revealed, were initially suspicious that his group of volunteers were enforcement officers, but have since warmed up to them.

“Some parents send their children to school before they go to work in the city.”