RECAP Wiki - Keighley Outreach in Pakistan Project

Keighley Extended Schools Cluster

Introduction

The earthquake in northern Pakistan in 2005 caused such complete devastation that many people are wondering how the area can possibly be helped to re-build.

We are wanting to bring the community of Keighley together to adopt a village destroyed in the disaster and focus our attention on re-building that village.

To do this will require on-going fundraising efforts to enable houses to be built, a school to be created and the necessary infrastructure to enable the village to become self sustaining.

We are planning a Keighley wide project to enable those who want to be involved the opportunity of focussing their support and contribution on a clearly defined area to be able to see the impact their work makes on re-building a village community.

At present we are consulting with those working in the devastated area to identify a village which we could adopt. There will then be an assessment of what is needed and preliminary costings for the project.

To enable us to anticipate the level of support for this project we would ask that individuals, groups, schools and businesses come forward to express their interest. Those already committed include 7 primary schools, a secondary school, The Sangat Centre and Radio Ramadan.

Saturday 11 November 2006

In November 2006, Richard Hunter, Zafar Iqbal, Kay Lindley and Robin Rushworth visited Pakistan. Here is a "diary" of outlining their visit and travels!

We visited the Read Foundation School in Mirpur. Although it was Saturday and not normally a school day, the children had all come in especially to meet us.

We observed their assembly and then visited each class.

The start of an epic journey!

The Read Foundation arranged for us to be taken to visit one of the three schools being built with the funds raised in Keighley.

We were taken in a mini bus through Islamabad to the mountain town of Murree for lunch. The roads were very steep and twisting with heavy traffic. The driver was either very very good or a total maniac.

After lunch we travelled further up the mountain and the down the other side. We crossed the valley bottom and entered Azad Kashmir.

From here on the roads were even more hazardous. There were no barriers at the road side despite a several hundred foot drop and there were more potholes than smooth surfaces!

After more than 3 hours climbing up the mountain we arrived at Dhir Kot and our overnight accommodation – a freezing cold Guest House with no hot running water.

However the lodge keeper managed to rustle a very good meal for us and we shivered our way to bed for the night.

During the night there was a very severe thunder storm and torrential rain which left us wondering about the state of the roads for our return journey having driven through mud slides on the way up.

The next morning we drove another 3 hours up the mountain to the school in Sanghar Patara one of the three for which the Keighley Community has paid.

The school is due to open in two weeks time but the children had turned out to meet us even though it was Sunday morning and freezing cold and wet.

We visited the HQ of the READ Foundation in Islamabad

They have a very impressive administration structure which keeps meticulous records of the children, donors and fundraising information as well as having departments for In Service training of teachers and for development of the curriculum.

There is a programme of “adoption” of orphan children which costs £60 per child per year. Detailed records and information are shared annually with the donor to track the progress of “their” child.

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