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Current Project

Current Status of the Project
Why Support SAVE?
How can you help on the ground in Lahore?

Current Status of the Project

Mash'al School started operations on Sep 1st, 2008. Enrollment has already reached over 200 and there are still children coming for admission, who are now being placed on a waiting list. New school furniture (wooden benches and desks) has been set-up and is in use. Six qualified teachers have been hired. Attendance registers, report cards, admission forms have been printed and are ready for use. Student Medical Cards and Family Medical Cards (for the students' families) for free treatment at the on-site dispensary have been made and distributed. Books, teaching material and stationary have been bought and are in use. Fresh water cooler (and filter) has been installed. School building has been painted and construction is ongoing for an extra classroom. A slide and swing have been installed in the school ground. The ground has been covered with a heat-protection cloth so that children can play the ground. The dispensary is being stocked with equipment and medicines and will start operations in less than a week. Planning is on-going to start free daily meals for students within a week or two. Fresh, home-cooked food (at the school kitchen), along with drinks, snacks and sweets, will be provided to all students free of cost. Planning is underway to secure school uniforms (and possibly school shoes) for students.

Why support SAVE?

SAVE enables the provision of high-quality education to the ‘poorest and most neglected children’ from across Pakistan! Here is why…

Charar village, and other similar villages in Lahore, are being increasingly inhabited by people who have moved there in search of work in the cities from villages across the country. Many men and women of Charar for instance work as domestic servants and helpers for the residents of Defence Housing Society. The young children of these workers [and other workers such as the donkey-cart driver, construction worker etc] are deprived of education because they are 1) often taken along to work by the mother/father as a ‘helping hand’ or 2) left roaming in the streets, often without shoes, clothes, let alone anyone to attend to their educational needs or 3) left at home to take care of younger siblings or 4) are themselves employed as full-time domestic servants and/or baby-sitters or 5) are simply too poor to pay for even the cheapest NGO-run school in the village.

Many NGOs are involved in providing primary education in Pakistan but the needs still far outstretch the resources committed to such projects. Also, larger NGOs typically focus on more remote areas due to limits of resources, thinking that people living in semi-villages located within/near major cities/towns may not be as needy whereas the migration of a large number of villagers from across the country into villages such as Charar have resulted in a large number of street-roaming/begging children and child laborers. By supporting SAVE, you will be supporting the education and welfare of the ‘poorest of the poor’ and yet the oft-neglected children in the Urban slums/semi-villages in Pakistan

SAVE’s school is not only a primary school. It is a place where children’s nutritional, clothing and medical needs will also be met. In addition to free education, SAVE will provide free daily meals, stipends and free medical care. SAVE has an extremely low overhead, thus 99% of your donations will directly reach the children. SAVE’s vision is for a work-based education where employment/placement are top priorities.

How can you help on the ground in Lahore?

- You can donate ANY amount from WITHIN Pakistan in Pak Rupees, one-time and/or regularly.
- You can volunteer to teach (regularly or occasionally) at the school.
- You can volunteer time to help out with other school-related activities.
- You can spread the word and get your friends and relatives to join LWA on the ground.
- You can help us design, build and run a vocational training program at the school.
- You can help us find out the skill demands of the Pakistani job-market.
- You can help our students find internships/apprenticeships/jobs .
- You can help design summer school courses/classes for students.
- You can help secure food, clothing and books for our school and the library.
- You can contact our Lahore team, the Lahore Welfare Association (LWA) at the address/numbers given in the Contact Us section and find out more about how you can help on the ground.

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