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Why Invest in Girls' Education?
Want to send a girl to school and provide her with a quality education?
Click here.
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Meet Iqra Fund's Overseas Staff
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Meet Iqra Fund's Board of Directors
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Community
Education
Learn more about our Community Education programs for girls and women here.
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Hushe Village
Only 20% of Hushe village's girls go to school. Learn more about Hushe and our future program needs from this Village Survey.
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2012 Iqra Fund
Program Details
In the Baltistan
region of Pakistan
Iqra Fund will:
Work towards reaching 100% enrollment for girls in Hushe Village's 1,000 residents and surrounding tribal areas of 12,000 residents.
Increase graduation rates for students, especially girls, from primary, middle, and high schools for a region of over 12,000 residents.
Increase the quality of education in the region's schools through teacher trainings, library development, preschool education, and
scholarships for girls.
Improve the school environment with school supplies and furniture, clean latrines, and quality teachers.
Work to reduce infant and maternal mortality through mother and daughter workshops and through the empowerment and education of local traditional midwives.
In the remote Berber tribal regions of Morocco,
Iqra Fund will:
Work in partnership with the Atlas Cultural Foundation to increase the quality of education--especially that of girls--with scholarships, tutoring programs, and local leadership capacity building.
Lead community health awareness days with local traditional midwives, women heads of household, and regional leadership to
reduce infant and
maternal mortality for 15,000 Berbers.
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Top Five + One (Hundred Thousand!)
Today, Iqra Fund turns one! Yes, we've made it through our first year, and we couldn't be more proud of what we've been able to accomplish in a mere 365 days. This is what we consider our top five accomplishments:  1. We raised over $175,000, currently being used for Pakistan and Morocco's 2012 programs. Over 97% of our first year funds have been spent on overseas programming. 2. We p rovided scholarships for over 100 Pakistani girls and more than 10 Moroccan girls to attend high school. 3. We increased the quality of education for girls by: - Eliminating school fees for 64 girls.
- Starting a girl-friendly school environment initiative for Hushe village.
- Supporting 11 teacher salaries and a teacher training for staff in two Pakistan villages.
- Funding a tutoring program for over 50 4th-6th graders in Morocco.
4. We developed a special education program to support 9 families with special needs in Hushe, Pakistan. 5. We developed a community health program with a service-learning curriculum for over 200 mothers and daughters in Morocco.
But wait--wasn't there also a plus one (hundred thousand)? Just yesterday we learned Iqra Fund has received a generous grant from the Innovate Foundation spanning four years for $100,000 each year. It couldn't have come at a better time, with our scholarship application process well underway! We couldn't be more proud of what we've achieved so far, and we couldn't be more grateful for your support! |
Scholarship after Devastation
At 2 p.m. on January 4th, 2010, a massive landslide in northern Hunza, Pakistan, upended the lives of over 25,000. The slide brought down an entire mountainside, burying an entire village and 19 kilometers (12 miles) of the Karakorum Highway in the process.
The landslide also created a dam on the Hunza River, which resulted in the formation of a lake that completely drowned two villages, isolated many others, and swamped untold acres of the potato crops that sustain so many.
The Pakistanis in the Hunza region have one of the highest literacy rates in the country, recognizing that education is the key to improving their lives.
These farmers once earned $1,000-$1,500 annually by selling potatoes to southern Pakistan. Now 90% of the region's income is zero, and their history of education--and decades of progress--is quickly eroding. More . . .
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| Early Childhood Education
The greatest return on investment in education is for children between the ages of three to seven. We know this because if they are well prepared for the start of first grade, they will more likely succeed through primary school and beyond.
 Five-year-old Belgis enjoys preschool in Hushe village, and much like the secondary school girls she looks up to, she wants to be adoctor when she grows up. She already knows her alphabet and loves to read and write in English. Her parents understand that her future will be brighter with an education.
During Advisory Council member Doug Chabot's recent month in Hushe, he often found Belgis studying or asking her father, Ali Khan, to check her homework. She tells Doug she's excited to start first grade next year, and her mother, Bano, is thrilled that her daughter will have a bright future with an education and opportunities beyond just working in the fields or at home.
The preschool Belgis attends is a program Iqra Fund and the local community organization, HWDO, are strengthening together with teacher trainings, school supplies, and tuition wavers. Iqra Fund will provide scholarships for 12 girls from Hushe to attend secondary school this year.
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| Special Education Program
Everyone deserves an education, especially those with special needs.
Zakia is a 15-year-old girl who contracted polio when she was two. Her left arm and leg are partially paralyzed and she walks with a heavy limp. She can help in the home, but not in the fields.
After an unsuccessful stint in school at a younger age, Zakia is trying again and is currently in the first grade at the local primary school. And while she is currently failing English and math, she enjoys attending classes and is keen to get tutored over the winter to be a stronger student next year.
During the winter months Zakia would benefit greatly by catching up on her lessons so she can excel in second grade. She has the desire to learn, but needs extra help so she won't drop out.
More . . .
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 Iqra translates to "read" from Arabic.
Iqra Fund operates in remote villages in Pakistan and Morocco, providing opportunities for women and children to improve their quality of life through education. Contact Info Iqra Fund 317 West Lamme Street Bozeman, MT 59715 Genevieve Chabot, Ed.D. Co-Founder and Executive Director |
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