Education

• Program: Rehabilitation of flood damaged schools
• Partner: International Rescue Committee (IRC)     
• Regions: Charsadda and Nowshera in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province
• Impact: IRC's work on 9 schools in these regions will allow 2,745 students to attend school in a safe and supportive environment
• Progress:
• IRC has nearly completed all physical rehabilitation work at the 9 targeted schools, including the construction of 8 new latrines and 4 new hand-washing stations as well as the rehabilitation of 33 latrines and 5 hand-washing stations. IRC also installed 5 new water boreholes with hand pumps to provide clean drinking water for the schools. 
• IRC replaced lost school supplies, including teaching resources, learning materials, and all classroom furniture. IRC is also distributing hygiene supplies such as soap, latrine brushes, water buckets, cotton rolls, combs, brooms, dustbins, and cleaning fluid
• IRC established Parent-Teacher Committees (PTCs) at each school and conducted a two-day training session for all 72 members. The PTCs have each held five monthly meetings, addressing topics such as teacher absenteeism, appropriate use of PTC funds, and other school-specific needs. The PTCs will also encourage increased student enrollment within their communities.
• IRC held a three-day training session for all 36 male and 35 female teachers at the 9 schools. The training focused on student-centered teaching methods, including cooperative learning, lesson planning, and classroom management [in photo below]

  

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

Some highlights of our recent community engagement activities include:

• International Rescue Committee's Flood Briefing, New York: APF participated in a roundtable discussion with the IRC on their ongoing flood relief efforts in Pakistan. The IRC is currently providing critical disaster relief in Sindh province after the 2011 floods with water, hygiene, and sanitation provisions. To read more about their work in Pakistan visit the IRC's website.  

• USAID Public-Private Partnership Forum, Washington DC:  APF attended a forum on collaboration held by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the agency's Public-Private Partnership Week. The forum offered experts in public-private partnerships an opportunity to discuss how to best work together to benefit both development and business. 

 

 

Community News  

• The Pakistani diaspora may be eligible to vote in Pakistan's next elections. The Government of Pakistan is considering granting the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis and has asked for all those interested to register early so the government can assess the level of interest. Registration information can be found through the Consulate General offices in New York, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and the embassy in Washington D.C. 

• The founder of BRAC (an APF Partner organization) has been awarded the first ever World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Prize for Education. Sir Fazle Hasan Abed has worked toward alleviating poverty through education for 40 years. Today BRAC is one of the largest NGO providers of education in the world. Sir Fazle received this prestigious award at the opening session of the third WISE summit in front of 1,300 delegates. 

• The Center for Global Understanding (CFGU), a nonprofit civic and educational organization, announced 25 scholarships for their summer internship programs in Washington D.C. Muslim American students are encouraged to apply. Applications must be submitted by November 30, 2011.

• The recently launched Nur Project aims at promoting the image of Pakistan as a vibrant and dynamic nation. The project seeks to build a diverse and engaged community, and connect progressive groups in Pakistan with a global audience. Sign up as a member and be part of the movement.

Sector News

• The Pakistani group Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a celebration of the opening of the New Galleries for the Art of Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and South Asia. The group joined in with the Moroccan group Hassan Hakmoun and Friends in a stunning cross-cultural performance. 

• In a recent interview Salman Ahmad, the founder of the Pakistani rock band Junoon, discusses his twenty-year career as a pioneer in Pakistan's music scene as well as his current work in using music to spread messages of peace and social change to people around the world.