heks

Having completed the emergency relief phase, HEKS is committed to the reconstruction of schools  in the south of Pakistan. By doing so, the aid organisation hopes to strengthen the country’s education sector and create new long-term prospects for its people.
    
A state of emergency still prevails in Pakistan months after the devastating floods: huge mountains of mud have laid waste to the land. The soil is infertile and failed harvests mean a shortage of food. Many of the people who lost their homes in the floods continue to live in tents and makeshift accommodation. The damage in key sectors such as agriculture, housing, healthcare, water and schools amounts to more than ten billion francs. The financial resources required for reconstruction may yet exceed this sum.   

School renovations urgently needed
Having completed the emergency relief phase, which HEKS began in conjunction with its local partner organisation Anatolian Development Foundation (ADF) and Caritas Switzerland in the north of Pakistan, the reconstruction phase commenced in February 2011. The project region lies in the south of the country in Sindh province, which was hardest hit by the flood. The damage to school buildings is particularly acute: the river broke its banks, filled entire classrooms with mud and simply washed away benches and tables.

Reconstruction work is focused on 36 school buildings, thirteen of which have to be completely rebuilt.  ADF, the partner organisation with which HEKS has already worked on the reconstruction of schools after the severe earthquake in October 2005 in Kashmir, is supervising the work on the ground. During recent months, a nine-strong team of civil engineers has completed some preliminary structural reports and will now take it in turns to ensure compliance with the quality and safety standards stipulated by HEKS and Glückskette. A variety of local building firms started carrying out the actual construction work in June 2011.

Education as an opportunity
The construction of schools is a matter of particular concern to the Pakistani Government. Pakistan’s state education sector is one of the least developed in the world. Just forty per cent of school-age children attend school. At the same time, education is the foundation of a developing society – away from poverty and radicalism. The situation is made all the more difficult by the fact that many Pakistani parents lack the motivation to send their offspring to school. Farming is the most important source of income and food for the poor rural population. They believe that children should help in the fields and make a contribution to feeding their families rather than learn to read and write in school.

Creating incentives
In order to counteract this appalling state of affairs and strengthen the education sector over the long term, HEKS is taking accompanying measures to support the school building project. Hygiene education in schools, for instance, shows children how to use and look after the newly installed toilets as well as the school building and its surroundings. The introduction of a school-garden scheme, combined with a school kitchen and meals, is also under review. Having one less mouth to feed at mealtimes should act as an incentive to parents to encourage their children to attend school. The understanding of crop management acquired by children in lessons can contribute to improved harvests for families. If Pakistan is seeking to regain the above-average fertility of its land and to equip its people to lead a better, self-determined life, then it needs both – busy hands and clever minds.

HEKS is an accredited partner of Swiss Solidarity.

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June 2011