• Program: Rehabilitation of flood damaged schools
• Partner: Save the Children         
• Region: Jhal Magsi district in Balochistan Province
• Impact: 700 children, 40% of which are girls, will be able to find access to quality education in a safe environment
• Progress:
• Save the Children has completed all major repairs and maintenance work at the 8 schools in Jhal Magsi. This includes reinforcing the school structure, laying new floors, painting, reconstructing boundary walls, and building water and sanitary facilities.
• 25 male and 14 female teachers have been trained and Parent-Teacher School Management Committees have been formed to monitor quality repair work and upkeep of the facilities, enhance children's participation and attendance, and share progress with the Education Department.
• Save the Children has run successful 'back-to-school' campaigns to increase student enrollment and has also procured school stationery, and learning, and recreational materials for the classrooms.  
• Health and hygiene education sessions have been conducted near the schools, which were attended by local community members. These participatory sessions covered topics such as hygiene, hand washing, and prevention of diseases. 

Parent Teacher School Committee

For details on these projects and other program we are supporting, please visit Our Programs.  

Highlights of recent community engagement activities are as follows:

• Discussion Forum at the Asia Society, New York:
  APF presented a public discussion forum, "Development and Diplomacy: A Way Forward for U.S.-Pakistan Relations" with USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah and U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter. The forum was co-hosted with the Asia Society and was held in conjunction with the opening of the 66th UN General Assembly. Dr. Rajiv Shah and Ambassador Cameron Munter shared their unique perspectives on U.S. diplomatic and civilian assistance in Pakistan as well as the future of U.S.-Pakistan relations. The interactive discussion was moderated by Dr. Hassan Abbas, Professor, The College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University; and Senior Advisor, Global Policy Programs, Asia Society. The event provided an opportunity to engage with senior U.S. representatives and was attended by a diverse audience of over 100 guests, including APF board members,  partners and supporters, members of the Pakistani American diaspora community, development practitioners, academics, and senior media representatives from American and Pakistani news organizations.    

   

• Road Show for RSPN Chairman & CEO, Washington DC: APF hosted a road show for Shoaib Sultan Khan, Chairman, and Shandana Khan, CEO, of the  Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN), an APF Partner organization which is the largest non-governmental network of rural development programs in Pakistan. Events included:  
• A private dinner reception hosted by Ambassador Rafat and Shaista Mahmood and APF for Shoaib Sultan Khan and Shandana Khan at their home in Virginia. 
• A luncheon event at the Center for American Progress where the RSPN team had an opportunity to share their work with a diverse audience
• Several meetings with key development practitioners and U.S. government representatives including US Congressman Mike Honda, who subsequently highlighted the importance of RSPN's role in Pakistan's development in his op-ed for the The Washington Times:  "Rural aid, not guns, key to Pakistan progress." 

• Launch of the Sania Nishtar Health Fund, New York: CEO Awais Khan was invited to speak at the launch of the  Sania Nishtar Health Fund on September 20th at the Rockefeller Foundation in New York. The Fund will support the work of Heartfile Health Financing, a non-governmental organization in Pakistan that works to catalyze change in the health system and provide innovative health financing solutions for the poor. 

Community News  

• As the impact of the floods in Pakistan worsens, the US Government is working with organizations in Pakistan, to provide broad range assistance to those impacted by the floods. The US Govt has chosen APF's Partner organization the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) to deliver relief supplies, including shelter materials, drinking water, sanitation and hygiene provisions in the affected areas.  

• At the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative meeting on September 26, the commitment of Heartfile was selected as an exemplary approach to addressing challenges in global health. Dr. Sania Nishtar, Founder & CEO, Heartfile presented at the Progress Report Ceremony. Heartfile was also featured in our Spotlight on Giving in last month's newsletter.

• The Citizens Foundation (TCF) was invited to become a member of the Clinton Global Initiative and made a presentation on its model of education at the annual meeting in September in New York. TCF has made a commitment of adding 10,000 students and 60 more schools for the next school year in Pakistan.

• Dr. Asher Hasan, Founder & CEO of Naya Jeevan, has been selected as a 2011 Asian Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation in partnership with the World Economic Forum. Naya Jeevan is a not-for-profit social enterprise that is dedicated to rejuvenating the lives of low-income families throughout the emerging world by providing them with affordable access to quality, catastrophic healthcare. Naya Jeevan offers its insurance program in Pakistan at subsidized rates under an innovative national group health insurance model. 

• A new compilation album produced in Lahore is receiving worldwide attention and praise and has topped the charts on iTunes. "Sachal Jazz", a mixture of traditional classical music and western jazz, is a reflection of the growing arts and culture scene in Pakistan. The album was recently profiled on the Voice of America blog as well.