New Skills for 40 school drops outs
For a mere US$150 each World Vision is helping 40 school drop outs from quake-ravaged northern Pakistan to receive technical and
vocational training, giving them saleable skills and the opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of their communities.
The boys will graduate as carpenters, electricians, masons and plumbers from a government technical school. They will receive tool kits related to their specific trades upon graduation in early November. The US$150 covers two months of training, including room and board.
'The boys will qualify for honourable employment, not merely casual labour,' said Richard Mukhwana, World Vision's Children in Crisis manager. 'They'll have trades related to reconstruction in the quake-zone and their training will protect them from child labour.'
The boys are all under 18 and most of them have no high school education. The Mansehra Technical and Vocational Centre (TVC) made special allowances for the youth's educational shortfalls, Mukhwana said.
World Vision is also expanding technical training to girls who are excluded from many educational opportunities in the traditional society of the North West Frontier Province. Some 480 girls have registered for classes in tailoring, weaving, embroidery and dyeing.
'The numbers of registered girls speaks to their enthusiasm for training,' said Mukhwana. 'Instruction will take place in Child Friendly Spaces.
School drop out figures were high even before the earthquake due to socio-economic reasons. They rose even higher after the quake as students discontinued their studies due to loss of parents, displacement of families and destroyed schools.
'There is no dearth of talent in the area but youth have very few opportunities for technical and vocational training,' said Shahnawaz Khan, principal of the TVC.
'The skills of these boys are relevant because the area abounds with all sorts of raw material. There is a big potential for industry but little progress has been made due to a lack of skilled manpower,' the principal said.
'This World Vision initiative will add to the industrial talent pool and accelerate the reconstruction process in the area,' he added.
The boys had started classes on 4 September. They were selected from four union councils around the city of Balakot where 17,000 people died in the earthquake last year.
'Our instructors work hard and do their best in demonstrating and helping us in practical work in all the trades,' said Kashif Rehman of Ganhool, who is studying plumbing.
'Besides learning we also have opportunities for recreation in the hostel. We play carom (a local board game), badminton and cricket in the afternoon.'
The boys will graduate as carpenters, electricians, masons and plumbers from a government technical school. They will receive tool kits related to their specific trades upon graduation in early November. The US$150 covers two months of training, including room and board.
'The boys will qualify for honourable employment, not merely casual labour,' said Richard Mukhwana, World Vision's Children in Crisis manager. 'They'll have trades related to reconstruction in the quake-zone and their training will protect them from child labour.'
The boys are all under 18 and most of them have no high school education. The Mansehra Technical and Vocational Centre (TVC) made special allowances for the youth's educational shortfalls, Mukhwana said.
World Vision is also expanding technical training to girls who are excluded from many educational opportunities in the traditional society of the North West Frontier Province. Some 480 girls have registered for classes in tailoring, weaving, embroidery and dyeing.
'The numbers of registered girls speaks to their enthusiasm for training,' said Mukhwana. 'Instruction will take place in Child Friendly Spaces.
School drop out figures were high even before the earthquake due to socio-economic reasons. They rose even higher after the quake as students discontinued their studies due to loss of parents, displacement of families and destroyed schools.
'There is no dearth of talent in the area but youth have very few opportunities for technical and vocational training,' said Shahnawaz Khan, principal of the TVC.
'The skills of these boys are relevant because the area abounds with all sorts of raw material. There is a big potential for industry but little progress has been made due to a lack of skilled manpower,' the principal said.
'This World Vision initiative will add to the industrial talent pool and accelerate the reconstruction process in the area,' he added.
The boys had started classes on 4 September. They were selected from four union councils around the city of Balakot where 17,000 people died in the earthquake last year.
'Our instructors work hard and do their best in demonstrating and helping us in practical work in all the trades,' said Kashif Rehman of Ganhool, who is studying plumbing.
'Besides learning we also have opportunities for recreation in the hostel. We play carom (a local board game), badminton and cricket in the afternoon.'
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
