Educating the excluded children of Pakistan
by Muslimcharity Uk Help the needyEducation is a universal
right but in Pakistan twenty-two million children were not in school between
the age of five and sixteen. Among the many factors keeping children out of
school were poverty, lack of a safe schooling environment and poor quality of education,
corporal punishment and a failure to enforce compulsory education. Many of
these out-of-school children can be found on the streets engaging in child
labour with hardly any protection against abuse and exploitation.
Among these out-of-school children, the most vulnerable group
are the children of sex workers in Pakistan. These children are the forgotten
by-product of Pakistan’s undercover sex trade: spending their days on the
streets and returning at night to sleep on the floors of the brothel. They face
malnutrition, physical and mental abuse and are prime targets of trafficking.
The sex trade in Pakistan is illegal and punishable according to
law. The children are therefore considered illegitimate and the majority of
them are not registered with government authorities and moreover, their
protection and development is not part of any political party’s agenda. As per
reports from civil society organisations there are many thousands of sex
workers in Pakistan. The children living in the brothels face multiple
problems. Girls are considered valuable assets since they are inducted into the
sex trade by gangs whereas boys are considered a burden. However in both cases
they don’t attend school and end up on the streets. The criminals target them
in illegal activities like the supply of illicit drugs and sex.
Apni Taleem is an initiative of Muslim Charity and its partner
organisation. It has been started to ensure protection of children to increase
their interest in the children’s well-being and trust in our project
objectives. We provide education and psycho-social support to prepare children
for admission into regular schools. Our educational curriculum has been
developed while considering the local Islamic and social values and this helps
the children to integrate with the mainstream children in the schools and
society.
The safeguarding and charities for
street children is our project’s paramount objective. Therefore our
customised information, education and communication materials on protection
ensure children are trained on how to react to difficult situations and build
up interpersonal relationships so that they can discuss any matters with staff
or family members.
In the last two years eighty children have been enrolled in our
centre and out of them fifteen have joined mainstream education. We understand
that change in such a situation will not come easily, however education and
social awareness may help to change the lives of some of these children. This
project has reminded us about the role of charities and community organisations
in providing solutions to some of the most difficult social challenges in our
societies.
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Created on Nov 22nd 2021 09:36. Viewed 191 times.