Increase Girls' Access to Education in Pakistan

Dear Pakistan Project Supporters,

Warm greetings! On behalf of Girls Education International (Girls Ed), I sincerely thank you for your generous support of our project, “Send 60 Girls in Pakistan to School.” This project is a collaboration with Bedari, our long-time partner organization in Pakistan. 

Access to education is so important for children everywhere, and in the context of rural villages in Pakistan, lack of transportation is a major barrier keeping girls out of secondary school. This, in turn, puts girls at elevated risk of child marriage. Your contributions to Girls Ed have helped keep girls in school and supported their participation in Bedari’s self-growth sessions. 

These experiences empower girls to see themselves as agents of change, as illustrated by the stories shared by some of the girls themselves:

Iqra said:

“My education makes me strong and enables me to use my agency, educate girls about their rights, and speak up against abuse.”

Muqaddas expressed a similar sentiment: 

“My education helps me understand that women and girls are equal human beings, and I stand with everyone. I am now capable of spreading awareness on rights among women and girls and will continue to do so.” 

This kind of ripple effect is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and ending child marriages. Another key factor is persistence, for as long as there is injustice in the world, there is work to be done!

And with your support, we continue the work. After 30 girls graduated last fall, Bedari recruited new participants into the program. Girls were recruited from across six different villages, including some with shorter travel distances than others, which allowed Bedari to add one more girl to the program! There are now 61 girls enrolled in grades 6–12. Each one of these girls has a story all her own. Stay tuned in the coming months as we share many of their stories on our blog and social media.

Having allies like you who are willing to support and advocate for girls’ basic human rights – especially access to education – can make such an enormous difference in girls’ lives. We are so grateful for your support in sustaining this important work!

If you would like to learn more about the work Girls Ed does in Pakistan and beyond, please check out our podcast, follow us on social media (Twitter @girlsed), or reach out to us at info@girlsed.org. 

With kindest regards,

Mercedes Ward

Dear Pakistan Project Supporters,

Warm greetings to all! On behalf of Girls Education International (Girls Ed), I thank you for your generous support of our project, “Send 60 Girls in Pakistan to School.” Through your investment in the education of girls in Pakistan, 60 girls have gone to school who otherwise would not have. Thank you—we couldn’t have done it without you!

I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself because I recently joined the Board of Directors for Girls Ed as the Project Manager for the Pakistan Project. After finishing my PhD in anthropology, I spent five years on the project management team for a USAID-funded initiative in Pakistan that aimed to expand access to high quality educational opportunities. During this time, I became more aware of the specific barriers to education that girls in Pakistan, especially those in rural villages, must overcome (e.g., lack of access to safe and reliable transportation to school). I also was reminded that effective and appropriate interventions require local partnerships. That’s why when I learned that the Girls Ed model is one of fundraising on behalf of local partner organizations, I wanted to learn more about Bedari, Girls Ed’s partner in Pakistan.

And what I learned—as many of you already know—is that Bedari is led by an amazing woman, Executive Director Anbreen Ajaib (listen to Girls Ed’s recent interview with Anbreen). Bedari’s approach is culturally sensitive, thoughtful, and empowering. Bedari’s deep community relationships have proven essential for an adaptive response throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

What that means in practical terms is that 100% of the girls supported through the Girls Ed Pakistan Project were successful in their studies and promoted to the next grade, including 30 students who have now graduated out of the project. Congratulations to all of these resilient and persistent girls! Applications are currently being received by Bedari to select new students to bring the total participants back up to 60 students.

Finally, since it’s often when we take a long-term view that we see the biggest impact of investment in girls’ education, let me share a couple of updates we received from Bedari about alumni of the Girls Ed Pakistan Project. One alum, Mariam, received support from Girls Ed from 2014 to 2017 and is now running a tuition (coaching) center with more than 50 students! Another alum, Emaan, received support for four years and is now a schoolteacher pursuing her Master’s degree in social sciences. These are the kinds of outcomes we hope are possible for all students supported through Girls Ed’s partnerships.

In upcoming GlobalGiving reports—and via the Girls Ed blog, social media (Twitter @girlsed), and newsletter (sign up here)—we will continue to share stories of girls whose access to education is made possible with your support. As the Girls Ed Pakistan Project Manager, I also look forward to strengthening our impact analysis and reporting in collaboration with Bedari.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at Girls Ed with any questions or suggestions. Together we can help ensure access to education for girls living in rural villages in Pakistan and beyond!

With kindest regards,

Mercedes Ward

Pakistan Project Manager