Dear HOPE Friends,
2023/24 School Year 📅 Ceremoniously Concludes for 11,000 HOPE Students 👩🏻🎓
Just as millions of children across the world 🌍 were blessed to complete another school year, so too were HOPE students throughout underserved districts in Pakistan 🇵🇰.
In early June 2024, students in Thatta, Zia Colony, and Muzaffargarh Formal Schools all participated in end of school year 📅 ceremonies. Students 👩🏻🎓 from all three schools 🏫 prepared various cultural performances 🎭, speeches 🎤, skits, and even presentations which highlight and feature traditional customs from the different provinces of Pakistan 🇵🇰 during the weeks prior to the school year ending.
The ceremonies for the three schools began with the afternoon prayer 🤲🏻 and were followed by performances by the students 👩🏻🎓. After much anticipation, the runner ups 🏃🏽♂️ and highest achievers 🏋🏽♀️ for each class were announced. For each school 🏫, community leaders and corporate mentors were invited to present certificates and prizes 🏆 to the students 👩🏻🎓. Last, but not least, Founder and Chairperson of HOPE Pakistan, Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla made it a priority to attend the ceremonies in Thatta and Zia Colony and personally speak to the students, motivate them, and commend them for their hard work 🌠.
HOPE operates 3 Formal Schools 🏫 along with 200 Informal (Home Schools) throughout Pakistan 🇵🇰 which provide a free/nominal cost education 🎓 to 11,000 underprivileged students total.
🏫 3 Formal Schools (2,000 Students 👩🏻🎓 Total):
🔸 Thatta - Preschool till Matric levels (one hour away from Karachi, Sindh)
🔸 Zia Colony - Preschool till Matric levels _(urban slum within Karachi )
🔸 Muzaffargarh - Preschool till 8th Grade (Punjab)
For the past 25 years, HOPE has recognized and acted upon an critical window of opportunity 💫 in Pakistan 🇵🇰 by reviving the underutilized concept of home schooling 🛖. Home schools 🛖 are a cost-effective and innovative solution to addressing the availability of schools 🏫 barrier 🚫that has been overlooked in Pakistan 🇵🇰. They engage the very communities they serve by employing educated females (whom parents trust) as teachers 👩🏻🏫. HOPE has found that the most effective and sustainable long-term solution for education 🎓 in urban slum districts 🌆 and remote regions in Pakistan such as Azad Kashmir 🏔️ is the home school 🛖 system.
🛖 200 Informal (Home) 🛖 Schools with 9,000 Students 👩🏻🎓 total:
🔸 165 Home Schools scattered throughout Interior Sindh and Balochistan (7,000 students total, 70% girls)
🔸 35 Home Schools in Azad Kashmir 🏔️ (2,000 students total, approximately 80% girls)
The students in HOPE's Formal 🏫 and Home 🛖 Schools all come from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite living in dire straits and facing formidable challenges, they are eager to attend school 🏫 and beat the odds 🌟. End of year ceremonies are a special time in their lives in which they are able to look back and see how far they have come and look forward towards brighter futures ✨.
We are humbled to report that our students pass their board exams ✍🏼 with flying colors 🌠 and that girls 👩🏻🎓 (who have historically faced more obstacles in obtaining an education) have been consistently outperforming the boys 👨🏻🎓!
Education 🎓 is the cornerstone of HOPE's poverty alleviation model and we are so grateful to our supporters who have provided the means necessary to give thousands of children a fighting chance to break through the vicious cycle of poverty ❤️🩹.
Warm regards,
The HOPE UK 🇬🇧 🇵🇰, HOPE USA 🇺🇸 🇵🇰, and HOPE Pakistan 🇵🇰 Teams
Comments