TCF Primary School , Machar Colony, Karachi
It’s tough being a kid anywhere, and in Pakistan, the cultural influences discouraging and effectively prohibiting education for girls as well as the impoverished makes it nearly impossible for the next generation to break the cycle. Rural Pakistani children have not had access to education in meaningful ways, and tend to be forced by circumstance to follow in the heavily trod footsteps of their parents. The Citizen’s Foundation is a non-profit organization set up in 1995 in Pakistan to try and open the doors of education, both literally and figuratively, to children regardless of sex and class.
They have built 600 schools from the ground up, enrolling 80,000 students. Even more astounding in this region is that female enrollment makes up 50% of the student body. This is shaping up to be the first generation where girls and young women have had these opportunities. The schools have also employed a female work force of teachers, giving jobs to 4,150 women, most of whom would otherwise never have had the chance to work and earn income for their families. 6,025 jobs have been created by TCF, and there are more on the way.
More are on the way, because there is a lofty and brilliant goal of building 400 ADDITIONAL schools in the poorest urban slums and remote rural communities of Pakistan.
This is where you come in. Of course, donated dollars are a huge help in this fight for education and freedom from poverty…and donated volunteer hours are also an enormous gift. From the website: “You may contribute in many different ways regardless of your age or your country of residence. You can give as little or as much time as you choose. Volunteer work with TCF can range from projects available at the head office, collection of books for school libraries, teacher training, running a donation drive, to helping out in the fundraisers organized by our chapters, setting TCF chapters worldwide for rounding up global support, etc.” Find out about the volunteer position that fits your passion and talents here.
This isn’t even about giving people a second chance–it’s about giving them a first chance. You want to be part of that.
Change by Doing 