Under the auspices of Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) co-sponsored by DFID, GEF was entrusted with the arduous task of alleviating the pitiful condition of education in Muzaffargarh whose literacy rate of 29% stood at the lowest ebb, as mentioned in Nelson Report of 2013. Thus, GEF initiated an out-of-school children enrollment program that aims to bring those children to school who had never attended school before. Afterward, GEF formulated a plan to open a school in an area where there had been no school within a radius of 1km. Hitherto, GEF has opened 239 schools in this district in which 23,744 children are getting primary education. GEF is also providing learning support material to students in terms of free books, school bags, and shoes. Moreover, GEF has contrived “Teachers’ Forum” in order to create awareness in society regarding the benefits of education and to implore the parents to send their children to school. GEF regularly conducts teacher training workshops on cluster bases to ensure the quality of education in schools. The success factor can be gauged by the renewed entrust on part of an ever-increasing number of children looking forward to going to school. Now the trust is setting its sight on opening new schools to educate a great many children.
Success Story
Basti Chandia, Tehsil Muzzafargarh. Eleven years old Bilqis of Basti Chandia Tehsil Muzzafargarh whose father died when she was three years old while her mother got remarried and left the children inattentive because her stepfather could not take the responsibility of looking after a crowded family. Now Bilqis lives with her married stepsister, Haliah. Bilqis is a student of Nursery in Ghazali Education Foundation (GEF) School Basti Chandia. Eleven years old Bilqis does not feel embarrassed studying in Nursery because 17 more children of the same age group are her class fellows.
Had her sisters been literate, she would have taken admission at an early age. Six months back when Ghazali Education Foundation (GEF) established school over there, many of the parents showed a willingness to send their daughters to the school. During these three months, Bilqis has learned numbers, alphabets, how to make sentences and has also recited 18 Paras of the Holy Quran. Bilqis believes that whatever she has learned can now transfer to newcomers effectively. She idealizes her teachers. Her innocent gestures are when asked, “I shall become a teacher after completing my studies“.
Ghazali Education Foundation (GEF) is providing education to more than 125000 students in 40 districts of Pakistan through its network of 800+ schools. GEF has offered a range of educational programs which are comprehensive in scope whether its Orphan Needy Support Program, GEF is providing free educational services to deserving and needy students.
Similarly, its Rural Inclusive Education Program and education program for Hindu community is furthering hundreds of students with special needs and Hindu children in getting education. In future, Ghazali Education Foundation (GEF) aims to expand its activities in other remote areas of Pakistan.