Haven Community School began regular classes at Yousaf Goth in St. Michael’s Parish under the Archdiocese of Karachi on Jan. 25. (Photo supplied)
Caritas Pakistan, the humanitarian arm of the Catholic Church in the Islamic republic, has opened a primary school for poverty-stricken dropouts in a remote area of port city Karachi.
The Haven Community School began regular classes at Yousaf Goth in St. Michael’s Parish under the Archdiocese of Karachi on Jan. 25.
Mansha Noor, executive secretary of Caritas Pakistan Karachi, formally inaugurated the school by cutting the ribbon of Haven Community School with children, teachers and Caritas staff.
“Around 258 million children and youth are still out of school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40 percent of girls in sub-Saharan Africa completed lower secondary school and about 4 million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable,” Noor said.
The aim of the community school is to provide education up to primary level for school dropouts on their doorstep for a bright future.
“Caritas is committed to providing equal opportunities to access for every child for lifelong education because every child has the right to go to school and learn,” Noor said.
Materials like whiteboards, chairs, water coolers and plastic sheets were presented as gifts from Caritas Pakistan Karachi to the Haven Community School.
The initiative was part of the third International Day of Education that was marked on Jan. 24 under the theme "Recover and Revitalize Education for the Covid-19 Generation."
Now is the time to power education by stepping up collaboration and international solidarity to place education and lifelong learning at the center of the recovery.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed Jan. 24 as International Day of Education in celebration of the role of education in peace and development.
Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.
