Staff Reporter
Annabel Gerry, Development Director at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) UK in Pakistan took stock of the ‘Siyani Sahelian’ second chance programme for girls’ education, being implemented by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) with the support of FCDO UK and in collaboration with the Punjab government.
Michael Houlgate, British Council Area Director for Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, and Amna Khan, Provincial Representative and Social Development Adviser, FCDO Pakistan also accompanied Gerry on the visit.
The Siyani Sahelian programme aims at tackling gender inequality for disadvantaged out of school adolescent girls (aged 9-19) in three districts of South Punjab – Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan. The visiting dignitaries witnessed the entire programme interventions with holistic inter-sectoral approach and innovative partnerships, and interacted with the beneficiaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Gerry said, “The UK is committed to ensuring girls have access to 12 years of quality education. “I am very proud to see how UK support has enabled 20,000 out of school girls to return to school through the Siyani Sahelian programme,” she added.
“We can’t end poverty without gender equality. That’s why girls’ education is central to the UK’s drive to tackle poverty and boost economic growth,” Gerry further said.
The programme combines accelerated academics with ICTs, health, menstrual hygiene, life skills, digital skills, vocational training, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, being provided with the help of knowledge partners like SOC films, Her Ground and Edkasa. More recently, ITA has partnered with British Council and CIRCLE to provide the adolescent girls with English language and digital skills.
Shedding light on British Council’s EDGE Project, Houlgate said the project aims to improve the English language and digital literacy skills of adolescent girls who risk dropping out of the education system.
