Educate a Girl in Kashmir

Dear HOPE Friends,

Winter Efforts in Azad Kashmir Continue - Special Delivery to Children in KIREA's Home School in Bani Langrial, AJK

Villages in the Northern Areas of Pakistan become exceedingly treacherous to access in winter due to especially harsh weather conditions - such is the case with KIREA's Home School in Bani Langrial - a remote village that is nestled 8,170 feet above sea level in the mountaintops of Azad Kashmir .

When the HOPE Team recently visited AJK , the roads to access the village of Bani Langrial were blocked due to heavy snow . Nevertheless, the Home School teachers ‍ especially made the trip down to meet Dr. Mubina and the HOPE Team and discuss the progress of KIREA's newly established Home School which caters to 50 underprivileged children under the age of 10 years old.

As soon as weather conditions stabilized, HOPE arranged for a special vehicle (equipped to handle the rigorous trek) to deliver winter clothes, blankets, school supplies, food, and desi ghee (gifted by IFFCO) to the children and families of Bani Langrial.

KIREA’s Home School in Bani Langrial is a collaborative effort executed with the cooperation of the Government of AJK to provide children under the age of 10 years with a quality education :

• The Bani Langrial region is so steeped in poverty ‍, remote, and difficult to traverse that for generations, parents were not able physically transport their children to the nearest school on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the default gradually became that the children of Bani Langrial would not attend school until they were a bit older and able to walk to and from the nearest school safely on their own.

• As a result of having not having a school for children under the age of 10 within the village , the children of Bani Langrial would be delayed significantly with regards to embarking on their studies . This delay only reinforced the cycle of poverty ‍ more by hampering the progress of the families in this village.

The establishment of a Home School for young children within the village of Bani Langrial is a proactive measure to circumvent these long-standing obstacles and bring education right to their doorsteps.

When Canadian-based charitable foundation KIREA learned out about HOPE's efforts to establish a Home School for the young children of Bani Langrial in 2024, they were eager to sponsor the entire endeavor on an annual basis. KIREA also currently supports a Home School classroom in Muzaffargarh, Punjab for 26 children who are not able to afford to attend school. KIREA has also come to the rescue to aid in HOPE's disaster relief efforts during the Pakistan Flood Crisis in 2022.

The Minister of Education of Azad Kashmir , Deewan Ali Khan Chugtai, met with HOPE Chairperson, Dr. Mubina and remarked that KIREA is doing a superior job in supporting the Home School in Bani Langrial, and that the area is one that was in dire need of educational intervention for young children . The Minister of Education also jokingly said that this village is close to God (meaning close to the sky).

We are extremely grateful for KIREA's partnership with HOPE and their willingness and enthusiasm to support various initiatives and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and communities living in dire conditions of poverty ‍.

Warm regards,

The HOPE USA , HOPE UK , and HOPE Pakistan Teams

Links:

• HOPE USA Website
• Dr. Mubina Interviews HOPE AJK MCHC and School Coordinators