Gujranwala School
In one of Pakistan's largest cities, the school serves around 200 children from communities where most families live below the poverty line.
Chak 96 R/B School
The school sits in the middle of the village and serves families living in very difficult circumstances. Close to 150 pupils study there.
The school in Chak 96 R/B stands in the middle of the village and serves families living in very difficult circumstances, families who have placed their children's schooling low on the list of priorities. Most parents and guardians work in the carpet industry, at brick kilns, in landowners' fields and in factories for very low wages.
Family needs and unexpected expenses force parents to borrow from their employers, and over time they fall deeply into debt. Those debts can even push parents to send their children to work for wealthier households in order to reduce what they owe. It took a great deal of persuasion to help people see that the only way out of this cycle, for the generations to come, is through education.
The school also serves two other nearby villages. After completing their studies here, pupils move on to the Machike Boarding School to continue their secondary education. Close to 150 pupils attend the school.
Pictures from the school
Chak 96 R/B School
Testimonials
Voices from Pakistan
I come from a large family and my parents could not afford to send me and my four siblings to school. We lived not far from the school in Farooqabad, and after my parents learned that children could receive scholarships from generous people in Iceland to study there,...
Nazish
Nurse — Farooqabad School
After I finished elementary school in my village, the dream of continuing my education seemed unrealistic. I am one of seven siblings, and my parents' priority was meeting the daily needs of the household, not paying for our education. However bleak the outlook, I kept hoping that something...
Najma
Treasurer and master's student — Machike Boarding School
Schools
Other schools
Jaranwala School
Built with funds raised by the teachers, staff and students of Borgarholtsskóli in Iceland, the school serves several villages on the edge of the city.
Peshawar School
Standing in the middle of the community it serves, the school removes the travel costs and safety worries that once kept children out of education.