Azad Jammu and Kashmir is a remote area with many villages in
the northern region of Pakistan. It is located at a distance of 132 kilometers
from Islamabad via Muree-Kohala route. There is no infrastructure and the
income generating resources are almost unavailable. Illiteracy is one of the
major problems there. Accessibility in these mountainous areas is a challenge
as many areas remain cutoff in winter due to snow. Normal vehicles cannot maneuver
on such steep and rough terrains. HOPE-An
Educational NGO in Pakistan has setup 35 informal registered schools
located on various mountain tops in this area. Approximately 1810 students are
studying in HOPE schools, among which many are girls. Education, books,
notebooks, school bags and stationary etc are provided free of cost to the
students.
Dr. Mubina
Agboatwalla-A Child Specialist in Karachi with her team members visited HOPE Home Schools in Azad
Jammu and Kashmir to make sure the schools are functioning the way they are
supposed to. This year they visited in the last week of January when it was all
covered with snow, with extremely cold breezes blowing around and temperature
dropping down to -6°C. Garhi Dupatta is a small town in
Muzaffarabad District of Azad Kashmir. It is located 20 kilometers away from
Muzaffarabad city on Muzaffarabad-Chakothi road along with Jhelum River. In Garhi Dupatta, HOPE team
distributed bags, uppers, pants, biryani and juices among the children of HOPE
Home School Thotha. Malsi is large vicinity in Azad Kashmir located 12
kilometers away from Muzaffarabad. At HOPE Home School Malsi they distributed
bags, clothes, sweaters, biryani and juices among the students. The clothes
included high quality pants, shirts for girls, warm uppers and jackets. Due to
the harsh weather conditions which the people of Kashmir fall prey to every
November till February, warm clothing is a must. The students were overjoyed to
receive all these gifts. They were so grateful to the HOPE team to be
thoughtful about their needs which otherwise remain unmet. Many children were
seen wearing the same clothes distributed to them by HOPE team last year.
They were excited to welcome Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla and other
team members from Karachi after long wait of one whole year. They prepared tableaus
to entertain the team. They performed on different songs including Kashmiri
folk songs and Pakistani national and patriotic songs. She made a heartwarming speech
to boast morale of the students and staff. She also presented winter shawls to
the teachers as a kind gesture. HOPE-An NGO in Pakistan is taking step
forward in easing the hardships of the people of Kashmir by providing them with
basic education facilities and other necessities of life.
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