Polio Immunization in Lahore

In the Mosque

In the village

Visit to Noorulhadi School

 Yesterday we went to see the fantastic results of the Rotary Matching Grant which benefited the Noorulhadi School for Girls (also known as DOSTI Badezai School #2).  The project had been financed by the Maumee Rotary Club of Ohio with their sum matched by The Rotary Foundation. The school is a peaceful community supported facility located 6 miles from the tribal territory of Bajour.

It was great to see the growing number of girls as well as resources at the school.  The new solar panel on the roof attract allot of curiosity since it is the first one in the region.  Previously there had been power but now the outages are getting so long that it is usually out.

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What a pleasure and an honor

 it is to be able to impact so many 

girls lives with real education!

We climbed the ladder to see the 

solar panels!

 I guess I was the first woman they 

saw climbing a ladder because it 

seemed like a big deal to them!

Apart from needing a good cleaning, the solar panels were in great shape.  They had not been generating much power recently because they hadn't been cleaned.  This is the first time we have included them in a project so now we know we must make sure they are cleaned regularly!

The Faces of DOSTI

Yesterday I arrived in Peshawar, tomorrow I will go and check on the completed grant so we can finish the Final Report.

 This morning I  got to visit a couple of the nearby DOSTI Schools.

The students are unbelievable!  So willing to learn and show what they know...

These two girls are in pre-Kindergarten at DOSTI's Abdara School.  It has come from a handful of students without teachers, to 150 students with many inspiring teachers in just 2 years!

 These three girls are in kindergarten at DOSTI

School #1, also known as Sufraid Dheri.  This

school will be the beneficiary of one of our next

grants.  The lights were out the whole time

I was there so we will include solar panels.

 These girls are in second grade as

Abdara School.  They were doing the alphabet and

some songs for me.

Fourth grade students really know how to pay attention

to the teacher!

Malala is honored everywhere in Pakistan and

the world!  Studying hard below her poster is part

of the 8th grade class at Abdara School.

Eager to learn!

 

These students are in 3rd grade and 

curious and friendly with me!

DOSTI School #1 Math Teacher

going home after classes finish

RI Auditors Impressed by our Matching Grants!

Rotary International is in the process of auditing some of the projects in District 3272.  Maybe they chose ours because we are the most remote rotary projects in the area.  They approved of all we have done and were very impressed with the projects capability of empowering the poor with education, especially the increased number of girl students.  I just got this from Zamarud Shah, the treasurer of our partner club, Unitown Peshawar:

Dear Rachel,

 

                    The Rotarian auditors from Karachi and Lahore were here on the 6th. I and Khanimullah Khan (club member) met them in Pearl Continental Hotel that nite and we discussed everything and gave them whatever they needed. They made statements and asked questions.  The next day I took them to Sardheri school and they inspected everything and the statement from Ridwanullah the principal. They were so impressed with what that MG have done to that area. There are around 140 girls now studying, up from 65. They realy appreciated how we helped them to upgrade the school.

 

Then we went to Kalu Shah and they also inspected everything there and were realy amazed that even the books they were still rotating after 3 yrs. The computers and the the furniture we gave them, the tube well kids are getting clean water and the principal also told them that due to Rotary help the school is doing tremendusly well. they have over 400 students now and they don`t have chairs for them and they now sitting on the floor. Mr Alavi talked to some of the girls and he was realy impressed by the quick right answers. They told me to help them with furniture and some toilets for the girls. They were so impressed they  told Islam (the headmaster) to carve a statue of Zam and fix it on the wall.

 

Well I m glad they found out that the help we gave them realy had a big boost on the education of this area. I thought that I should update you.

Zam

 

Below are photos from 2009 trip.  I will take more next week on my visit!

 

 

Iqral School at Sardheri, Charsadda : from left, headmaster Ruwanulla, Rotarian Rachel Williams, teachers and students of the school standing around Unitown Rotary Club member Kanimulla Khan

Kalu Shah School:  from left - donor of farmland for rural school sight & headmaster Islam Khan, Rachel Williams, and Unitown Rotary Past President & Club Treasurer  Zamarud Shah, with school children.

How Pakistani's view their situation...

This article shows great insight into how local people see things here in Pakistan

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-146992-Choosing-our-battles