By Emily Coppel | Senior Communications and Marketing Associate
Thanks to the support of GlobalGiving donors, BRAC’s mission to reach disadvantaged students left out of the formal education system in Pakistan has been a success.
Your donations were matched and multiplied by partner organizations, which allowed us to educate more children—and more girls – than we had originally proposed.
BRAC is now running 100 early childhood education centers in three districts in Pakistan, reaching more than 6,000 students. These schools give children educational opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t be afforded. BRAC students are children with disabilities, girls whose parents can’t afford school, and others who face huge barriers to getting an education.
This program educates these left-behind children and then mainstreams them to government schools so that they continue their education. This year, BRAC succeeded in transferring 93 percent of its ‘graduated’ students to primary schools.
Another goal of the project was to engage parents and community members to show them the value of educating girls. After two years in the community, the schools have gained the support of key stakeholders, including families. BRAC’s parent forums maintained a 49 percent attendance rate and at the end of the period, communities began to embrace and protect these schools.
Challenges still exist in many of the areas where BRAC operates. Security threats, terrorist attacks and government restrictions on movement make it difficult for students to pursue an education, especially females. However, by working closely with the community, having effective relationships with local security agencies and adapting activities when challenges arise helped the project stay on track.
There is still so much work to be done to empower girls in Pakistan. BRAC appreciates the support from donors like you who understand that change must happen at the community level. Sometimes it’s slow going, sometimes it’s difficult, but once communities understand the value of educating girls, the tides will begin to change. Thank you!
By Faiza Haq | Communications Intern
By Emily Coppel | Marketing and Development Associate
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