Helping 1,500 children access quality education in rural areas of Pakistan

Proposal: To construct a READ Foundation Higher Secondary School in Bagh, AJK, Pakistan.

We want to educate 1,500 underprivileged children (including vulnerable orphans) in a safe and supportive environment. We’re going to do this by constructing a higher secondary school in Bagh, AJK, Pakistan.

The plan:

We want to educate 1,500 underprivileged children (including vulnerable orphans) in a safe and supportive environment. We’re going to do this by constructing a higher secondary school in Bagh, AJK, Pakistan.

The proposal:

We believe that developing good, effective literacy and numeracy skills with a focus on quality education is fundamental in transforming lives and helping the less fortunate out of crippling poverty.

We want to construct a school for 1,500 students in kindergarten, primary and secondary grades, which will consist of the following:

A fit-for-purpose and seismic-compliant building measuring approximately 35,647 ft2 for 1,500 boys and girls in kindergarten, primary and secondary grades. The building shall consist of 44 classrooms, 2 science laboratories, 1 IT suite, 1 library room, 7 administration rooms and 38 toilets/washrooms.

The building shall consist of two main blocks as described below:

Block 1:
This block will have a construction area of approx. 23,380 ft2. It will consist of 30 classrooms (Kindergarten, Primary and Girls High), 6 administration rooms, 1 teacher resource room, 1 science laboratory and 24 toilets for pupils and staff.

Block 2:
This block will have a construction area of approx. 12,267 ft2. It will consist of 14 classrooms, 2 administration rooms, 1 science laboratory, 1 IT suite, 1 library and 14 toilets.

Block 2 shall also have a capacity to house 525 boys in the high school section, which includes safety fencing of the school premises, classroom furniture for 1,500 pupils, syllabi-based teaching-learning materials and staff furniture.

Time frame:

Construction of the READ Foundation School shall be completed in 24 months, provided weather conditions and flow of funds remain favourable. This will commence once initial funds are received.

Project cost:
£ 664,585.69
Direct beneficiaries include: 1,500 Children

Location of the school:

Address: Bagh, District Bagh, AJK.

Distance/direction from the nearest major city: Bagh is located about 150 kilometers north-east to Islamabad. It is a 4 hour drive from Islamabad and 2.5 hour drive from the hill station in Murree.

The area has been identified due to the poor quality of public education in the locality. While wealthy parents can afford to send their children to private schools, in Bagh, expensive school fees allied with transportation costs really hinder children from poor families achieving a quality education that will help them out of poverty. Consequently, scores of young bright minds remain deprived of their right to education and become vulnerable to different forms of exploitation. Girls, in particular, are to submit to a life of domestic labour, early-age marriages, or other social disparities.

Gender equality:

READ Foundation schools will allow girls to raise their family income and status:

Each extra year of a mother’s schooling reduces probability of infant mortality by at least 5%–10%

Every additional year a girl stays in primary school her potential wage increases by 10–20%, this helps to encourage them to stay in education for the long run and achieve a valuable education, which supports her family and protects her from various forms of exploitation.

Also mothers with primary schooling have better access to the information they need to help keep their children safe and healthy. Quality education that reaches poor women and marginalised groups really reduces inequality; diminishing discrimination and creating more cohesion amongst communities at large. (Girls Grow: A vital force in Rural Economies: 2016)