Free Education for 100 poor girls in Pakistan

COVID -19 threat is there but education continues.  School ensures the implementation Provincial Government’s SOP to provide the safe environment. To ensure the social distance, the students are divided into two equal groups. A group of students who comes today will be at leave on next day and second group will come next day. Under the guidelines of WHO, IEC material is displayed in the school and students are sensitized about the SOPs to keep under consideration. Written guidelines were also sent to the homes of school to aware the other family members of the student about guidelines to keep the whole family safe from Corona virus. This is very encouraging that not a single person is declared Covid-19 positive. 

Though the village is safe but COVID-19 second wave is more severe and record positive cases across the country are reported on daily basis. Government recommended early winter vacations in the schools. The school is closed on Dec 07 2020 for one month. The students were provided home work for one month and they are provided online couching.  

SDA officials met Mr. Syed Wajid Shah, Chief Executive Officer of District Health Authority. Agenda of the meeting was briefing of CEO about the latest updates of Covid19 in the district and what precautionary measures should be taken in this phase particularly for the children. CEO warmly welcomed the SDA officials. He was happy to tell that there are only two Covid 19 patient in the district who are under treatment in the Covid 19 ward of District Headquarter Hospital. Things are under control. Though there is significant decrease in new cases of Covid 19 but still we all have to follow the protocols set by Ministry of Health Pakistan. The children are one of the vulnerable segment and to safeguard them the schools will remain close and decision will be made on 1st September 2020.

CEO further asked the official of SDA to play their role to support the general awareness campaign of the government about the Covid 19. SDA is already very active in social mobilization and awareness in this crises and would work closely with the Health Authority.

• Lock down due to Coronavirus jammed the economic activities across the globe. Pakistan having population 200 Millions, A country which was already facing the economic challenges 20% of its population living below the poverty line and almost other 20% just crossed the poverty line are dependent on daily wages income suffered the worst.

  Government is doing its best to support these families but it is great challenge and can’t be met without support of the local philanthropist.

   Government imposed lockdown due to which educational institute and business enterprises are closed down. The families dependent on daily wages are facing the worst and it was very difficult for them to run their kitchen. Majority of the students of the SDA belongs to very low income level families. SDA felt the responsibility and started a program with the name “ Sanjhi Khushian Sanjhay Gham”“Joys and sorrows Together”. It is an Initiative of SDA, to support the families dependent on daily wages during the lock down period.

  The deserving families are identified by the volunteers at grassroots level. Local Philanthropists are mobilised to support the families Ration to run their kitchen. A bag containing food items to run the kitchen of the families is delivered at door step of the deserving families. So far 546 families are supported under this program.

• Dignity and self esteem of the deserving families is ensured and food bag is place at their doors with silencre. 

Practical work broaden the spectrum and is important for conceptual clarity of the students. District Education Authority Organized a science exhibition in in the district. Students of schools managed by SDA visited the exhibition. The students prepared scientific models with low cost/ no cost material. Huge numbers of students, parents, teachers and community members visited the exhibition and appreciated the work of students. Local member parliament also visited the exhibition and distributed the prizes among the participants.

“Teacher told us about the Pascal’s law but now I have seen its practical implementation. Same many other scientific phenomenon are learned by us. To get knowledge in this way is so easy. Thank you our teachers for providing us this very good learning opportunity to us.” This was expressed by the students of the schools.

It was decided that in future, the students will participate in the competition with their own scientific models.

Learning environment of class rooms is changed. A trainer of children Global Network was hired to train the teachers on activity based teaching for early childhood education.  Social, psychological, physical and emotional development of the students is focused. Corner having learning manipulative of these all types of development are set. The change is bringing result and students are very happy to see this change. “It is so interesting, learn is fund. We love to come to school and get bored at home. We are living in beautiful place. We love our school. Class rooms, fellows and teachers. No other school of the area matches our school”.

It has been observed that attendance in the school is increased and interest of the students in learning is also boosted up. Thank you all for your generous support for this Nobel cause.