HER CHANCE FOR AN EARLY START

Imagine a 4-year-old girl, living in a remote village in Uganda or Pakistan. The closest school is over 4 kilometres away, through difficult terrain. Neither of her parents, who are subsistence farmers, can afford to take time off work to accompany her on the daily journey, which is a two-hour walk in each direction and one too difficult for such a young child to make alone.

By not attending school, this child’s life will repeat the same cycle as her parents: simply working to survive. But, there’s hope.

When people like you donate, children have access to early childhood education. Cycles of poverty are interrupted and young children in Uganda and Pakistan can access the education they deserve from the start.

Washich, Pakistan: A 3-classroom ECD Centre is being built in Washich, Pakistan, a community in the Torkhow Region of Upper Chitral. The IREAD ECD Centre will serve over 3,000 people. The Aga Khan Education Services, Pakistan (AKESP) has established a pre-primary class in Washich, but only 20 of the community’s 125 ECD-aged children can attend, as space is limited. The nearest ECD Centre is a 5 km walk over difficult terrain. Construction started in August 2020 and will be completed in February 2021. The school has been donated by the family of Mithoo and Nabat Gillani of Calgary, Canada.

Shotkhar, Pakistan: A 4-classroom IREAD ECD Centre in Shotkhar, which is in the Torkhow Region of Upper Chitral, Pakistan, will serve more than 3,500 residents. AKESP currently offers ECE from a family home, which can accommodate only 20 of the village’s 140 ECD-aged children. The nearest ECD Centre is in Buzund, a 3 km walk over difficult terrain. Construction of the IREAD ECD Centre started in August 2020 and will be completed in February 2021. The school has been donated by the family of Mithoo and Nabat Gillani of Calgary, Canada.

Masaka, Uganda: Construction started in June 2020 and will be completed in early 2021. The school has been donated by The Jaffer Foundation and will be named the Mwami Nasirali ECD Centre in memory of Nasirali Jaffer.

Mirembe, Uganda: This IREAD ECD Centre was donated by the Tejani and Kassam families of Calgary, Canada and is dedicated to the memory of Salim Tejani and Zubeda Kassam. Construction of the school started in September 2020 and will be completed in early 2021.

Rubindi, Uganda: Construction of the Shamez Ibrahim ECD Centre started in September 2020. The school has been donated by Dr. Firoz Ibrahim of Washington, USA and named in honour of his son. The school will be completed in early 2021.

Kamuli, Uganda: This school, to be built in 2021, will be donated by the Murani family and The Jaffer Foundation in memory of Panjubhai and Sherbanu Vasram Murani, who lived for many years in Kamuli.

Kyambogo University, Uganda: This school donated by the Damani family of Uganda will be built on the University grounds and will be a model ECD teacher-training facility as well as a fully functional ECD Centre. The school will open in 2021.

Kapiri, Uganda: This ECD Resource Centre donated by the Firoz and Najma Lalji of Seattle, USA will be built in 2021.

Kakumiro, Uganda: Donated by Zahir and Rozmin Lavji of Chicago, USA, construction of this school will start in 2021.