At the edge of an educational crisis of epic proportions. The system is massive, with 250 million students and 9 million teachers. However, 53% of Class 5 students cannot read a Class 2 textbook and three-quarters cannot do division, as per the nation-wide ASER survey, 2018. For the 166 million children in 1.1 million public schools (typically from poorest, marginalized communities), the situation is particularly acute. At Roshan Proactive Humanitarian Program, we believe that creating an environment for meaningful student teacher interactions, is key to transforming the system.
At Roshan Proactive Humanitarian Program, we look to improve learning outcomes in the public education system, by enabling ‘meaningful teacher-student interaction’. If a child is meaningfully and effectively engaged in the classroom by the teacher, she attends classes regularly, engages in learning, and in turn, achieves learning. We closely partner with national, state, and local governments to design and implement high-quality, scalable solutions to achieve improved student engagement and a focus on academic outcomes.
The target beneficiaries of the project are both the Afghan refugees in Kot Chandana as well as host Pakistani community. The target group mainly comprising of adolescent girls (aged 13-18) who finished their middle-secondary level studies and or studying in their 8 th grade, and had no access to high-secondary education in the refugee village. While considering the future prospects, all girls enrolled in the school who will be graduating from primary level to middle-secondary and then high-secondary will also benefit from the project outputs and deliverables, as the project has provided the facilities for continuing their high- secondary level studies. At present 162 girl students are enrolled in 9 th and 10 th grade and benefiting from the project intervention.
Project sustainability and long term impact is embedded in the project activities. As an outcome of the project, the Community Girls School which was initially set up by Ms. Aqeela Asifi, was expanded and upgraded to high-secondary level from middle-secondary level by constructing a high-secondary unit/structure within the school. The unit includes construction of 2 new classrooms, a fully equipped science laboratory and one latrine. Besides, the old structure/block of school was renovated and school boundary wall was also constructed. This in turn, ensured the initiation of 9 and 10 grades/classes within the school. At present 162 girl students are enrolled and benefiting from the provided educational facilities. Looking into the future prospects, the provided facilities will continue to cater for the high-secondary study needs of the local population including both Afghan and Pakistani nationals. The disadvantaged girls of the area who previously had no access to high-secondary level studies, will now be able to pursue their education.
The project followed a systematic strategy for its implementation. REPID after finalizing the implementation arrangements/agreement with Ms. Aqeela Asifi and UNHCR, set up a field office at Mianwali for the implementation and coordination of project activities. The proposed staff including the project manager, project engineer, site engineers and community mobilizers were hired and deployed at the field office. Mobility support was provided to the project staff for project implementation.
Initially the project staff established contact with the local community, school authorities, CAR and relevant line departments before the actual implementation on the project. The mobilization staff reactivated the school management committee and ensured their participation in the planning and implementation of the project activities. The project manager and project engineer visited the school site for initial assessment and needs validation. The engineer after conducting a thorough feasibility of the school, prepared required designs and BOQs. Based on the project designs and BOQs procurement plan was developed and approved from UNHCR. The construction of a high-secondary unit included 02 class rooms, a science laboratory with necessary equipment, school boundary wall, and sanitation facility for the new building. In addition renovation work was also proposed in the existing building of the school. After having finalized the project designs, BOQs, and procurement plan, services of a qualified construction firm/contractor were engaged for the implementation of civil works. For this purpose, REPID followed a complete tenderization process, where tender was properly advertised, quotations/proposals collected from pre-qualified vendors and the successful vendor was awarded the construction contract on the basis of set criteria. During this whole process, Ms. Aqeela Asifi and the UNHCR project control and procurement units were on-board and observed the whole process.
The project manager and engineer developed the detail implementation plans and supervised and monitored the construction work accordingly. The site engineers remained available at the construction site on daily basis throughout the implementation. They supervised and monitored the civil works and maintained regular site inspection reports. Similarly, local community both Afghan Refugees and Pakistani community were involved in the project supervision and monitoring through the services of School Management Committee SMC. At the completion of school building as well as during the construction work, REPID community mobilization team together with SMC launched community awareness and enrolment campaigns. During these campaigns, parents, students and community members were reached and sensitized on the enrolment of girls in high-secondary grades. Further, the importance of girls’ education and its associated benefits were explained to them in order to attract new enrolment in grade 9 and 10 in the newly constructed high-secondary unit of the school.
Participatory monitoring strategy was adopted during implementation on the project. The school management, SMC and relevant line departments (education department) remained on-board during the project life. They keenly observed and monitored the project activities and also provided necessary support as and when required. The Project Management Unit (PMU) established at field office regularly monitored the project sites and reported the ongoing progress to the REPID head office on daily, weekly and monthly basis. The Project Manager developed a detailed implementation plan and project performance monitoring plan and reported the activities accordingly. The project engineers visited the field on daily basis and facilitated the completion of civil works and ensured quality according to the developed BOQs, designs and procurement plans. A progress review and feedback mechanism was established at the head office level where the concerned project staff presented the project progress on weekly and monthly basis. During these meetings the project progress was evaluated, challenges and constraints in the project implementation were discussed and guidelines were issued to respective teams for future course of action. It helped to keep the project activities on track and ensured the project completion within the specified time period. Apart from project level monitoring, the REPID M&E team also visited the project sites and monitored the activities. Similarly joint visits were also planned and conducted with UNHCR team. The M&E visits ensured that the resources being allocated are utilized properly and according to the actual needs.
Regular project progress reports were produced during the project period. The Project Manager shared weekly status reports, along with monthly progress report with the REPID head office, UNHCR, CAR and other relevant stakeholders. A weekly statistical report was also produced that presented the activity level progress on weekly basis for further analysis and management decision making. Similarly, the field teams kept daily diaries and site inspection reports (SIRs) and shared it with the project manager on daily and weekly basis. This reporting mechanism facilitated the smooth flow of information from project site to field office and then to REPID head office and other stakeholders. The project activities were well coordinated with the relevant education department, district administration, school management, CAR, UNHCR sub office team, SMC and the local community. These all stakeholders were kept informed about the project progress and constraints through regular data sharing and project updates and reports.
Appropriate measures were taken to ensure project visibility. REPID regularly invited representatives of print and electronic media for coverage of project activities. Besides, the community elders and influential of the area were involved in dissemination of the project deliverables and awareness on the understanding of the expected project outcomes or results. REPID also organized community gatherings for both Afghan and Pakistani community members to create awareness on importance of peaceful coexistence and sharing of resources through saving and its judicious use by keeping the needs of other communities in mind while utilizing resources. Press releases and hand-outs of the community gatherings were disseminated among the cross-section of society for effective cascading of messages of harmony and amity among host and refugee communities. Banners, Standees and visibility boards were designed and prepared for project activities, including on the occasions of project inaugural and completion ceremonies as well as for school opening ceremony. UNHCR, REPID, Nansen Refugee award logos were displayed on procured items and on all banners and visibility material.
REPID contributed PKR 275,000/- for reactivation and training of School Management Committee. REPID took community based organizations (CBOs) on board which played a vital role for the project sustainability and awareness raising of population. Similarly, REPID allowed the use of its head office resources for coordinating and managing the project activities including its equipment, communication, inventory and mobility support. Besides, REPID M&E and Program team at the head office contributed their intellectual inputs and time towards the project inputs, supervision and monitoring. The higher management of REPID ensured the project implementation through regular desk reviews and coordination with the relevant line departments. Besides this, all other committed resources were utilized without any changes accordingly.
The most visible impact of the project is that it has created opportunities for the adolescent girls of the area to continue their education beyond 8 th grade, who were previously deprived and had no access to high- secondary level studies. As a result, they are now able to get enrolled in the 9 th and 10 th grades and pursue secondary and higher secondary level studies. As a result, they can further improve their qualification and skills to compete in the local job market. This in turn will reduce their dependency syndrome and can lead to their economic protection and improved living standards in the longer run.
Similarly, REPID with proven community mobilization practices ensured that communities will support the action with contribution by way of actual work. The proposed action envisaged the involvement of parents in education process of their children and school supervision. School Management Committee was constituted and enabled to identify and address construction-related needs in its regular meetings and find out solutions by allocating funds for addressing these needs in the future. The project has also contributed directly to the SDGs by sustaining existing education facilities, ensuring continued enrolment and learning at schools. The proposed project played a vital contribution in women empowerment in both Pak Afghan Communities as it gave young girls strength, resolution and self respect also has contributed in giving them the capability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and take advantage when opportunity arises. The proposed interventions directly contributed to RAHA outputs and outcomes by addressing needs of refugee and local communities, creating better and sustainable cohesion and trust besides being gender sensitive in the overall project strategies. REPID ensured shared learning and documentation of best practices for replication across the target areas.
| Title of the Project | School Development Program in Kot Chandana Refugee Village |
| Implementer | Rural Empowerment and Institutional Development (REPID) |
| Code | 1205157 |
| Reported by | Danyal Ahmed |
| Reporter title | Program Director |
| Operation | PAK ABC |
| Budget Year | 2016 |
| Period covered by the Report | 1st May 2016 till 30 July 2016 |
| Date Report Submitted | 15 Aug. 2016 |
| Pillar | Pillar 3 |
| Cost centre(s) | UNHCR Islamabad |