Dear friends of the children,
I hope that all is well with you and your loved ones.
The dismal reality is that across the world about 260 million school-going age children have never held a book in their hands. In Pakistan, the number is the most dismal in the world – 22.8 million. The number in Afghanistan is 3.2 million. Girls fairing worse in all circumstances.
You, as a friend of the children of the world, will be excited and pleased to know that we are on the verge of crossing a remarkable milestone of taking education to 100,000 children across Pakistan and Afghanistan. Currently, we are at 84,429. The groups of children are divided as follows:
- 5,111 Children who absolutely have never held a book in their hands and whose parents always believed that education is for the more privileged.
- 39,889 Children who because of the Covid-19 pandemic could not continue their education at schools and who could not afford electronic devices. These children have been provided with whiteboards, notebooks, slates, etc.
- 21,459 Children who are already enrolled in tuition centers but lack basic school supplies.
- 16,000 Children who attend government schools in remote areas. These schools are delipidated and lack basic amenities and the children cannot afford school supplies
- 1,970 Children who are enrolled in religious-education schools and have no access to the universally accepted curriculum. The administrations of these schools have agreed and shown interest in teaching such subjects as languages including English, math,s and sciences.
This all-out effort to take education to every child in Pakistan and Afghanistan is part of an audacious campaign of ending illiteracy in Pakistan and Afghanistan by the end of the year 2025. It is a daunting task and there is no option to fail. At Global Education Campaign (US) we envision a more equitable world. Education being the greatest equalizer. To this end, we are seeking partnerships and collaborations with concerned individuals, governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Respectully,
Munir Ahmad, M.D.
Founder, Global Education Campaign
