Helping Afghan Children Go to School in Pakistan

600,000 Afghan refugees are estimated to have fled to Pakistan following the events of 2021 – swelling the Afghan refugee population to round 3 million in the country. About a third of these Afghan refugees are school-aged children between the ages of 5-16.

Due to poverty and other significant challenges, many of these Afghan children are not attending school and are lacking a basic education. This is where Relief International has stepped in.

Since our last project update in April, the total number of Afghan refugee children we have supported since 2019 to enrol in schools has rocketed to 8,285.

Over 5,000 of these students have successfully completed our School Readiness Program, designed for out-of-school Afghan children aged 5-9. This program is run through 70 centers located within Afghan refugee communities and works to improve access to education and increase enrolment in primary education, with a focus on girls and marginalized children.

Our new 2023 Accelerated Learning Program for Afghan refugee children aged 10-14 who have never been to school or not completed their primary education has also gone from strength to strength, with 1,715 children now enrolled in 40 Relief International centers.

On top of these two programs, around 700 Afghan refugee students aged 15 and 16 have been supported into formal lower secondary grades through Relief International’s Post Primary Readiness Program.

Sidra, a dedicated Relief International facilitator told us about the Accelerated Learning Program Center she works at, "it transcends the boundaries of a mere school and serves as a transformative home for these girls, altering their lives and lifestyles". She continued, “during an interactive session, the girls expressed their aspirations to become doctors, teachers, lawyers, and social workers when they grow up. I firmly believe that these girls wouldn’t have set these life goals without the program”.

Over 50 students aged 10-14 attend daily classes six days at Sidra’s center each week. Like other Afghan refugee students Relief International supports, each girl receive $6 monthly to encourage their family to continue their long-term attendance in education.

Help us continue this life-changing education work for Afghan children in Pakistan by Donating Now.