Caritas Initiative for Education Promotion, Case Studies, News

Caritas alumni on a brighter future in Pakistan

An alumnus of Caritas school for working children in Amritnagar village has won scholarship for intermediate studies in the neighboring Mian Channu city of Punjab province.

Jamil Javed, a tenth grader, in St. Vincent High School achieved second position in a series of tests conducted in January 2020 by Aspire College to select students for intermediate classes. He used to work as an assistant mechanic at a local motorcycle repair shop.

“I used to earn 50 rupees as daily wage. My father, a laborer, couldn’t afford to bear our educational expenses. My younger brother also dropped out of school in 2015,” said 18 year old.

Kashif Raza District Project Officer “Non Formal Education for Working and Disadvantaged Children” project spotted the youth in Chak (village) 133/16 L.  He convinced the parents to send Jamil for three hour classes at the non formal school in grade seven. Caritas Pakistan Multan (CPM) is managing 28 skill training centers and schools in three districts of South Punjab since 2018.

Jamil used to return to his shop after the classes ended at 11 am. CPM team mainstreamed him in a Church run school in 2018. This year, CPM enrolled 60 students for Board Examination of grade eight. District project officers built linkages with Government and private registered schools and sent registration of 60 students through these schools.

Mr. Samuel Clement Executive Secretary CPM appreciated the project team for encouraging dropouts to join the centers. “It is very hard to change the mindset of the parents once the children start earning. Our DPOs have to negotiate with poor families,” he said.

“Colleges in Punjab usually charge 40,000 rupees as admission fee and related expenses. We are proud of Jamil who won the scholarship because of his hard work. He is a success of CPM endeavors for educating working children.”