Education

The Taliban destroyed hundreds of girls’ schools in Swat, creating an even bigger gender gap in education than was previously present. In that society, girls are less likely to be educated than boys, and even if they are sent to primary school after elementary education, they are less likely to go to high school and much less likely to go to college than male children. To create gender equality, SRI has made education for girls a high priority.

Projects

Activities for our education program include:

  • Building coeducation schools in remote and inaccessible areas that do not have access to education
  • Reactivating 'Ghost Schools' (abandoned government schools) by renovating and upgrading the abandoned buildings and getting committment and follow up from the government to provide teachers for these shools
  • Formation of Parent Teacher Associations in local government schools with the help of the communities that we organize and train. This creates accountability and helps the schools run more efficiently
  • Teacher-training programs to develop critical thinking, confidence and leadership
  • Creating a school curriculum based on civics, good citizenship and volunteerism
  • Seminars and workshops to raise awareness about gender equality and the importance of education, especially for girls
  • Enrollment campaign for girls’ education
  • Scholarship and Mentoring programs for deserving children.

Educational Work Photo Gallery

SRI's Projects for its campaign to put:

20,000 Children in School by 2020

Swat Relief Initiative is unique because we make every effort to ensure that our work is effective and follows the ideal concept of charity

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Letter from the Founders

Dear Friends,

We have always felt a debt of gratitude to the social institutions under which we grew up: Pakistan in the 60’s.  Today, unfortunately, those institutions are but a pale semblance of what they used to be. We were privileged but came from families that, despite their station in society, gave and taught us to give of ourselves to those who were less privileged.

This background, and our subsequent achievements in life, put us in a position to help the most needy people in Pakistan.  We are most effective in Swat:  This is in the region we are from, this is where we best know the people and this is where the people know us well.

We started Swat Relief Initiative at a time when the people of Swat went through the first major trauma of three major disasters: the 2008 Taliban takeover, the ensuing 2009 war and the 2010 mega-floods.

The most vulnerable segments of Swati society are the women and children – they are our focus.  We bring the men along too, for they are key to helping develop a milieu in which women and children can grow into fully contributing members of society.

We have a holistic approach to social growth with programs in Social Mobilization, Health, Education, Economic Development and Sustainable Environment. While working in these areas of social development we partner, when necessary, with individuals and organizations that can supplement our expertise and impact.

Of course, we cannot do any of this without the help of your continuing generous contributions, which we continue to pledge will go directly to where they are needed the most: programs and projects on the ground that provide the greatest opportunity for less fortunate women and children to thrive.

Thanks,

Zebu and Arshad Jilani